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THE FIANS.
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Maifs anti straps of Celtic CraHttion.
Series initiated and directed by
LORD ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL.
Demy 8vo, cloth.
ARGYLLSHIRE SERIES.
VOLUME I.
CRAIGNISH TALES.
Collected by the Rev. J. MacDougall ; and Notes on the War Dress of the Celts
by Lord Archibald Campbell, xvi, gS pages. 20 plates. 1889. 5J.
VOLUME II.
FOLK AND HERO TALES.
Collected, edited (in Gaelic), and translated by the Rev. D. MacInnes ; with a
Study on the Development of the Ossianic Saga and copious Notes by Alfred
NuTT. x.\iv, 497 pages. Portrait of Campbell of Islay, and Two Illustrations
by E. Griset. 1890. 15J.
" The most important work on Highland Folk-lore and Tales since Campbell's
world-renowned Popular Tales. "-///:rA/rt«</ />/<'«''/'/)'.. „ , ■ -c n
"Never before has the development of the Ossianic Saga been so scientihcally
dealtwith."— Hector Maclean. , -j j u , , tu jj
"Mr Alfred Nutt's excursus and notes are lucid and scholarly. Ihey add
immensely to the value of the book, and aftord abundant evidence of their author's
extensive reading and sound erudition."— 5^c2'i Observer. _ ,, t.t .
"The Gaelic text is colloquial and eminently idiomatic. . . -Mr. Nutt
deserves special mention and much credit for the painstaking and careful research
evidenced by his notes to the tales."— C/;<r« Telegraph.
'^^
"1.
VOLUME III.
FOLK AND HERO TALES.
Collected, edited, translated, and annotated by the Rev. J. MacDougall; with an
Introduction by Alfred Nutt, and Three Illustrations by E. Griset.
iSqi. 10^. 6rf.
Ian Campbell of Islav.
(t'rom an Oil Picture by the late Jas. R. Swinton, painted about 1S40 — 1S42)
WAIFS AND STRAYS OF CELTIC TRADITION.
Argyllshire Series. — No. IV.
THE FIANS;
OR,
STORIES, POEMS, & TRADITIONS
OF
* ' ' ' 'by
JOHN GREGORSON CAMPBELL,
Minister of Tti-ee.
WITH INTRODUCTION AND BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTES BY
ALFRED NUTT,
PORTRAIT OF IAN CAMPBELL OF ISLAV, AND ILLUSTRATION BV
E. GRISET.
LONDON :
DAVID NUTT, 270-271, STRAND. ^
1891. 3 7^
\
/rf/
CONTE N TS,
Preface .....
Introduction.—]. G. Campbell
„ Alfred Nutt
The nature and antiquity of Gaelic folk-tales and songs ;
traces of the same in the earliest Irish literature ; discussion
of d'Arbois de Jubainville's and Dr. Hyde's views concern-
ing the Slim Swarthy Fellow. — The Fenian cycle : summary
of Professor Zim mar's new theory respecting ths same ;
objections to it. — Classification of the texts composing the
Fenian cycle. — Parallelism of the Ossianic and Welsh
ballads. — Neglect of the Fenian cycle in Scotland ; its
national and scientific importance.
The Fians
Conlaoch and Cuchulain
Deirdre .
I. FiONN Mac Cumhail
II. Oscar
Battle of Gavra .
III. GOLL .
IV. Dermid
V. Caoilte
Lay OF the Smithy .
VI. CONAN .
The Cattle of the Fians .
End of the Feinne .
OssiAN after the Fians
Lay of the Red Cataract .
Stormy Night.
Manus . . . .
Alvin ....
Conn, Son of the Red
The Muileartach
The Lay of the Smithy
PAGE
vii
ix
xiv
I
6
8
16
29
33
49
52
64
64
7^
75
77
82
91
102
106
113
120
131
159
vi Contents.
Brugh Farala . . . . . .165
The Day of the Battle of Sheaves, in the True
Hollow of Tiree . . . . .172
Fin Mac CouL IN the Kingdom OF THE Big Men . 175
How FioNN Found his Missing Men . . .192
FlONN AND HIS MEN ...... I97
How Fionn Found Bran ..... 204
FiONN AND Bran . . . . . .211
Ceudach, Son of the King of the Colla Men . . 225
How Fionn was in the House of the Yellow Field . 233
Fionn's Ransom ...... 239
Numbering of Duvan's Men .... 258
The Lad with the Skin Coverings . . . 260
Notes . . . . . . . .281
Index ........ 290
PREFACE.
This volume has been made over to Lord Archibald
Campbell for his Argyllshire Series, in full confidence
that every justice the writer requires will be given to
himself, and to the book, and in appreciation of his
Lordship's ardent and judicious services to Gaelic lite-
rature in continuing the work so well begun by J. F
Campbell, of Islay ; a work that has broken down the
prejudices which existed against Gaelic matters, and has
gone far to make them valued and esteemed. Having
seen other volumes of this Argyllshire Series, the writer
is still more assured, not only by the energy and aptness
shown in their preparation, but also by the learned pre-
cision and knowledge of the annotations connected with
the work. He also considers his Lordship more likely
to be acquainted with the best means of forwarding the
object desired — that of making these subjects known —
than anyone in his remote and uninfluential position.
John Gregorson Campbell.
Manse of Tiree,
June, i8gi.
INTRODUCTION,
The stories, poems, and traditions which are given in
this volume have been gathered entirely from oral
sources as opportunities occurred. The labour of col-
lecting them has extended, over well-nigh thirty years,
since the coming of the writer to his present charge.
This is a personal and, perhaps, too obtrusive a matter
to be mentioned ; but it is due to the subject to say
that the portals of knowledge being, through English, to
the boy whose native tongue Gaelic is, and the writer
having received most of his training and education in
the south, though aware of the names of Finn MacCoul
and other ancient heroes of Gaelic times, was as much a
stranger to these subjects as any one can be. All that
he knew was only fragmentary pieces that were to be
found in books ; that the Gaelic language was of Indo-
European and Aryan race, like Latin or Greek — and it
was only gradually that it dawned upon him that, in the
language itself and its stores of knowledge there was an
abundance of unwritten literature that would bear com-
parison with any literary composition he had ever fallen
in with. Those stores contain Songs, Ballads, Tales,
Traditions, Proverbs, Riddles, etc. However it arose,
or wherever it came from, there was a mist-like cloud
overhanging the Highlands, and Gaelic was in neglect,
which is gradually wearing away. It is a matter of
much satisfaction that these vapours and clouds, when
they disappear, will show a language through which the
rays of human knowledge will receive much access of
strength.
In this volume, which entirely belongs to the episode
of the Fians, there are points which will strike the reader
Introduction.
as having their analogy in Greek and Roman tales ; thus,
the death of Dermid {Dzm^mad) being in his heel is like
that of Achilles, who was also said to be vulnerable only
in his heel. Cacus, the robber, is also said to have leapt
and walked backward into his cave, as Garry does after
the burning of "Brugh Farala". In the ancient geo-
graphical names of Greece and Rome many place-names
are to be found that admit of much explanation from
Gaelic, e.g., "Marathon by the sea" is very like Maranan
Seas or Waves; but the making of this, and similar
names, clear to the stranger to Gaelic, requires an ex-
planation of elisions and other points of Gaelic Grammar
which is foreign to this work. The resemblance of other
Dictionary names is only what might be expected from
the affinity between the languages. In their progress
westward the Gaelic-speaking race have in Ireland and
the Highlands of Scotland come as far west from the
original seat of mankind, wherever it was, as early times
would admit. Apparent traces and impressions of their
progress and divergences can be found from Morocco
along the west coast to the extreme north.
The origin of these tales about Fingal and Ossian,
etc., cannot well be traced to any resemblance between
them and the history and traditions of Rome. The
Romish invasion of Britain offers no analogy and no
trace. No Roman ever set foot in Ireland, and their
attempts at the Grampians, for their own sake, would
not be sought by them a second time. Who the first
Britons were, or who the first people were who came
across the Straits of Dover, if they came that way, and
the many subsequent questions as to who the Picts and
Scots were, and how the Gaelic language overspread the
Highlands, while English remained in the level country,
opens a wide field, of which an explanation can perhaps
be got by a careful consideration of the Gaelic language
and other kindred Celtic tongues of which there are
remains still surviving-.
Introdtiction. xi
The Fian tales are old and purely Celtic, but the
human imagination runs in similar grooves all the world
over, and the traditions and tales of widely different tribes
may in this way bear a resemblance, but this will not
admit of any conclusion as to identity.
In passing, it becomes me to mention that those from
whom the stories, etc., were heard, were uniformly men
of retentive memories, of good intelligence, and so far as
could be judged by even the most cynical, men of pru-
dent and respectable character. Many of them did not
know a word of English ; some might, perhaps, conversa-
tionally, but few of them knew it as a written tongue, so
that questions agitating the world of letters passed by
them without exciting even a passing remark. At one
time this class, and all tales, were looked upon as idle
and unworthy of attention, only interfering with god-
liness and sanctity; and though a better state of matters
now exists, it cannot but be deplored that the " rigid
righteousness" and rigid wisdom have led to the loss of
much valuable matter.
/ In a dedicatory Gaelic letter to an Earl of Argyll in a
Gaelic book on prayer, published as early as 1567, by
Carsewell, Bishop of Argyle, the Bishop complains that
his countrymen were fonder of listening to idle tales
about the Feinne or heroes of the time of Fionn Mac-
Cumhaill, than of taking any interest in the Word of
God. On this subject the writer is indebted for his
information to a rare work, "The Gaelic Hymnal" {^An
Laoidheadair Gaelic), published about the year 1836, by
D. Kennedy, under the patronage and recommendation
of the Reverend Dr. Macleod of Campsie. The same
continued to be the case until very recent times, and a
person who was about seventy years of age, a few years
ago, in giving an account of old Highland habits to
the writer, said that when, e.g., the people of a place
assembled to build a boundary dyke, some one would
X
X i i Introduction .
observe that they should wait till so-and-so came, and
when he appeared, as the day was good and long, one or
other would remark that the new comer might tell, before
they began, some incident in the history of the Fian
bard. The whole party then sat round the storyteller,
and listened to his marvellous account. By the time
that he was done the sun was drawing westward, and
some one would then say it was hardly worth while
beginning that day, and that he might tell some other
story suggested by the previous narrative. When the
second story was finished the sun was well-nigh setting,
and the parties separated after agreeing to meet next
day, as nothing had been done that day. These were
the good old easy days, when the saying, " Hurry no
man's cattle," held its ground, and people were not
pressed to the same extent as now for the means of
living. %
In what the writer has to say upon the subject of
these heroic tales, he prefers to use the name Fionn Mac
Cmnhaill, and the Host of the Fians {FeacJid na Feinn).
The renderings of Fenian and Fingalian have other ideas
attached to them, and the writer's information and belief
in the value of the tales as historical or archaeological is
entirely founded upon them as they exist in popular
tradition. It seems to him that in this way they are
more free from the embellishments of idle fancy, and in
their own proper place subservient to the elucidation of
truth.
The Fian heroes are to this day prominent in pro-
verbs and riddles, and sayings and references to them
and their actions, occur continually in common every
day conversation, although the precise incident to which
reference is made may not be known. It is in this way
that people speak of Ossian after the Fians {Ossian
an deigh na Febine^, and in the riddle, " Fionn went to the
hill and did not go ; he buried his wife there and did not
Introduction. xiii
bury her" (" Chaidh Fionn do 'n bheinn, 's cha deachaidJi
idir ; thiodJdaic e 'bhea7i a?tn, 's cha do tJdodJdaic zdzr'),
etc., etc. Ans. — /di'r was the name of a docf.
Veryprominent among these stories are those referring
to Fionn and his dog Bran. This redoubtable dog is
referred to in the story of " Ossian after the Fians"
(Ossmn an deigh na Feinne) as having survived all the
other dogs of the Fians. It had a venomous or death-
inflicting spur on its foot. Fionn's visits to the Kingdom
of Big Men. How Fionn's wife fled with his nephew.
The death of his nephew Diarjiiaid. The wars in which
he was engaged, etc., etc.
Fionn occupies in Gaelic the position of a model
gentleman or nobleman in the original, and best sense
of the words. He was not accounted the strongest of
the " Fian Host", but was looked up to as ever a kind
friend and judicious adviser, wise in counsel, a solver of
doubts and difficulties, hospitable to the stranger and poor,
a protector of the weak and defenceless, and in every
respect trustworthy. The tales of his having visited the
Kingdom of Big Men and of his having a long ship
{Long f/iada aig Fionn) are told in various forms, and in
many different tales.
The object of the writer has always been in all matters
affecting Celtic antiquities to make whatever he deems
worthy of preservation as available and reliable to the
reader as to himself, without addition, suppression, or
embellishment.
The writer himself being unable to write, the work of
transcribing this volume has been undertaken for him,
in loving memory of one (his widowed mother's only
child) who, though of tender years, and partly an alien,
said of Gaelic, " I love it best" {Si Ghailig is docha
Icuuis).
INTRODUCTION.
To all who have any love for the traditions of the
Scottish Gael the name of the Rev. J. G. Campbell, of
Tiree, has long been a household word, and from them
this volume, comprising as it does the gatherings of
some thirty years, will be sure of a hearty welcome. If
we bear in mind that these tales and ballads are taken
from one section only of Gaelic tradition, and have been
selected from a very small district, we can form some
idea of the richness and vigour with which that tra-
dition still flourishes in the Gaelic-speaking portions of
Scotland. As each fresh collection comes before us
it is impossible not again to ^sk the question whence
come these old-time tales and songs ? what is their
place in the history of Gaelic thought and fancy? what
relation do they bear to the stories and legends of other
races ?
Mr. Campbell holds what may be called the tra-
ditional and patriotic view — what the Gaelic folk tells
to-day it has told from immemorial times, and, as we
listen to the living peasant or fisherman, we catch
glimpses of, we hear far-off tidings from,
" The old days which seem to be
Much older than any history
That is written in any book."
But many scholars would by no means admit that we
are justified in doing this. Gaelic folk-lore has, as a rule,
been noted within comparatively recent periods, and
the temptation for many persons is apparently irresis-
tible to conclude that it is equally recent. The question
is a complicated one, and cannot be answered in a
rough and ready fashion. Indeed, whilst so many of
Introduction. xv
the elements of the problem are not clearly before us,
owing to the fact that by far the larger portion of Gaelic
heroic legend still remains unpublished, it is impossible
to give any answer that is not necessarily a provisional
one. All that we can do at present is to see how far
the evidence at our disposal carries us, and to draw
from it principles which may guide us in the investiga-
tion of the unexplored, or only partially explored, tract
which must be examined before we can hope to reach
any definite conclusions.
Roughly speaking, the record of Gaelic mythic and
heroic legend reaches continuous and unbroken from
pre-Christian days unto our own time. The oldest MS.
evidence takes us back to the eleventh century, and
many of the texts of that date approve themselves,
even to the most cautious and sceptical of scholars, as
very much older. As a rule we owe the preservation of
Gaelic history and Gaelic legend in the Middle Ages to
the clergy, and, unless we believe that many of the monks
and abbots, to whom we owe the oldest Irish MSS.,
amused themselves by inventing pagan beliefs and fan-
cies, we must admit that texts which are substantially
pagan reach back to pagan times. Taking native Gaelic
legend in its entirety (excluding merely the Christian
hagiological elements) we can distinguish five strata —
the mythological and pseudo-annalistic — the Ultonian
(of which Conchobor and Cuchullain are the chief per-
sonages)— the Fenian, or Ossianic — the post-VQ.x\\zx\
historical — and the living folk-tale. Now it is quite
true that the MS. evidence for the first, second, and
fourth of these strata or classes is, on the whole,
much older than for the third ; whilst, as for the fifth,
95 per cent, of the evidence belongs to this or the
preceding century. To certain minds the conclusion
seems inevitable that the order in which this MS. evi-
dence comes before us, represents the order in which
xvi Introduction.
these various manifestations of myth- and legend-
creating impulse assumed shape in the consciousness
of the Gaelic race. But there is something to be said
on the other side.
The moral and intellectual level of the men to whom
we owe the preservation of Gaelic legend in the Middle
Ages may be little, if at all, superior to that of the folk
of to-day ; but it was certainly much higher than
that of the folk of their day. Not only did they exer-
cise selection in what they committed to the memory of
their pupils, or to the vellum leaves which formed the
proudest treasure of a monastery or a chieftain's court,
but they were necessarily and inevitably indifferent
to whatever did not come within certain well-marked
limits. Again leaving the Christian element out of
consideration, these limits, as far as the native litera-
ture was concerned, may be said to have been con-
terminous with the mythical, historical, and customary
antiquities of the tribe or clan. Whatever could exalt
the pride or strengthen the pretensions of the clan
chieftains, the clan wise men, or the clan brehons,
that would be eagerly sought after by the clan story-
teller— that would be cherished and recorded by the clan
scribes. Thus it has come about that such a large pro-
portion of the MS. space is taken up by genealogies ;
that legends, obviously mythical in their origin, have put
on a quasi-historical form and connected themselves
with the fortunes of special clans ; that topographical
legends are so carefully noted ; that the rights and
customs, whether of the tribe or the individual, are set
forth with such minuteness. What room was there for
the folk-tale in the ideal library of an Irish chieftain,
which is what the great MSS. of Irish antiquity aimed
at being ? The argument ex silcntio would be invalid,
even if it were rigorously correct, and it is not. Even
from Irish mythic and heroic legend as it has come do\\-n
Introduction. xvii
to us we can recover the outlines, or we can distinguish
the essential features of many a folk-tale current to this
day among the Gaels of Ireland and Scotland. I will
note but a few examples : The three-fold gaming against
a supernatural antagonist who loses twice but wins the
third time, imposes a heavy task upon the hero, or
claims from him some object he holds dear — this theme,
so frequent in Gaelic tales, is as old as the seventh
century, at least, as it is found in the TocJiniarc Etain,
the wooing of Etain by Mider, a prince of Faery ; the
combat of the disguised hero against the evil beings to
whom a princess is exposed, his rescue of her and his
discovery by means of a ring — this theme is as old as
the eleventh century, at least, since it is found in the
second redaction of the Tochmarc Einer, or Cuchullain's
wooing of Emer ; the theme of the bespelled being, who
can only get his spells lifted if he induce the hero to
fulfil a task, is as old as the tenth century, at least,
since it is found in the oldest part of Cormac's Glossary;
the theme of the exposed child must be as old as the
ninth or tenth centur}-, since it forms a part of the hero-
tale which tells how Connaire Mor was slain by over-sea
pirates ; the theme of the skilful companions is found in
the Seafaring of the Three O'Corras, a tale which goes
back to the seventh century. I am quoting from Irish
sources alone. I could easily extend the list if I made
use, for purposes of comparison, of those Welsh
Mabinogion which are certainly older than the outburst
of the Arthurian romance, i.e., older than the twelfth
century. But Campbell of Islay has already done this
in the fourth volume of the West Highland Tales. I
will only add to what he says the expression of my
conviction that Welsh romance of the eleventh and
twelfth centuries was influenced by — perhaps is largely
derived from — older Gaelic romance. It may be said
that the examples I have cited are the starting-points
B
xvlii Introduction.
of the modern tales. Even if this were so I could
still point out that a long period is postulated during
which the folk-tale must have lived on without being
recorded, which is all I contend for ; but I do not
believe for one moment that it is so. On the contrary,
the way in which these themes occur in the heroic
legends I have mentioned, shows that they must have
been commonplaces familiar both to the story-teller and
to his hearers. In other words, the mythical and heroic
sagas of the Irish Gael, sagas recorded in writing from
the seventh to the fifteenth centuries, pre-suppose a
background of traditional fancies, beliefs, and concep-
tions of the same essential character as those still
current. I underline the word essential, as I do not for
one moment intend to deny that changes have taken
place in the mass of tradition, that some things have
utterly died away, others been profoundly modified,
much again been added.
It is necessary to insist upon this view of the facts,
because distinguished scholars have a way of treating
the date of transcription as equivalent to the date of
origin. Thus M. d'Arbois de Jubainville, in his Essai
dun catalogue de la litterature epique de Vlrlande, often
adds the designation " conte moderne", solely it would
seem because only modern MSS. exist. I by no means
deny the existence of heroic, or simply fairy tales to
which the term modern may be properly applied, i.e.,
which are the outcome of a deliberate and individual
artistic effort on the part of a writer living within the
last two centuries. It is by no means the least remark-
able feature of Gaelic legend that it has retained its
vital power down almost to the present day ; thus,
almost within the memory of living men, fresh com-
binations of the old materials have won popular favour
and swollen the mass of folk-literature. I only say that
the fact of recent transcription does not suffice to range
Introduction. xix
a tale in this category. In some cases I venture to
think that Mons. d'Arbois de Jubainville is decidedly
in error, e.g., when (p. 88) speaking of the Ceithetrnack
Caol riabach, "the slim swarthy fellow", of which the
oldest Irish MS. is dated back by him to 1789,
and of which there are two fragmentary versions in
Campbell ( West Highland Tales, vol. i), he says, " Ce
conte a pour base des evenements de la fin du xvr
siecle." Now the tale tells how the storyteller of
the King of Leinster was helped out of a great per-
plexity by Angus of the Brugh. I have some difficulty
in believing that Angus, the son of the Dagda, the wisest
wizard of the Tuatha De, turned the wife of the head
ollauiJi of the King of Leinster into a hare and played
divers practical jokes on divers Irish chieftains about the
year 1600. The ground for Mons. d'Arbois's statement
probably lies in the fact that one of these chieftains is an
O'Connor Sligo, who was placed at the end of the i6th
century. As a matter of fact his date is 200 years earlier,
and Dr. Hyde has taken the year 1362 as a tennhms a quo
for dating the version of the " Slim Swarthy Fellow"
which has come down to us {^Beside the Fire, p. xxix).
He grounds this opinion upon the fact that the episode
in which O'Connor Sligo figures and which belongs
to the year 1362, is common to all the versions,
Scotch as well as Irish. But I am by no means
sure that this fact is enough to warrant the conclusion.
It only proves to my mind that the tale, as we have it, is
younger than the day of O'Connor Sligo; it does not
prove that an older version may not have existed
before his day. There is a well-known English mum-
ming play in which St. George, as champion of England,
has to encounter and overcome a series of enemies.
Among these, in some south-country versions is Bony.
It would be incorrect, I think, to say that the mumming
play was based upon events of the early 19th century,
B 2
XX Introduction.
incorrect also, even if every version mentioned Bony,
to assume that the play as a whole took shape after
1815.
The most exaggerated form of the contention I am
demurring to with which I am acquainted is due to
an American scholar. Professor W. W. Newell, who, in
No. xii of \hQ American Folk-Lore Journal (p. 84), speaks
of "folk-tales like Campbell's, and those lately printed
by Curtin, a large class of which are Irish only in name,
being simply literal translations of, or trifling alterations
of a common European stock". It is interesting to find
that in America Ireland is looked upon as being outside
the "common European stock." Professor Newell is a dis-
tinguished scholar, but he seems to me to have stated the
question is an altogether inexact manner. It is necessary
to state emphatically that if we look to the incidents and
themes which form the staple of the vast majority
of folk-tales, these can be traced back on Gaelic soil as
far, in some cases farther, than amongst other European
races. It is quite true that collections of tales were made
— even printed — in Italy 250 years, in France 120 years,
in Germany 30 to 40 years before such collections
appeared in any part of Gaeldom. But if it is seriously
urged that the Gaelic folk-tale corpus is to be traced
directly to the collections of Straparola (i6th century), of
Basile (17th century), of Perrault (late 17th century), of
Musaus (late iSth century), and Grimm (early 19th cen-
tury), there will I think be little difficulty in showing the
utter baselessness of such a contention. I by no means
deny that Gaeldom has shared in the general give and
take of folk-tale and folk-lore, which has gone on all over
Europe, but the word " translation" describes this pro-
cess, in my opinion, most inaccurately.
Hitherto it will have been noticed that I have drawn
my evidence for the long continued existence on Gaelic
soil of a considerable body of folk-tales from outside the
Introduction. xxi
Ossianicor Fenian cycle. But Mr. Campbell's volume is
primarily concerned with this cycle, which forms indeed
the most interesting and important monument of Gaelic
folk-fancy throughout the last lOOO years. It cannot
but strengthen the contention for the antiquity of
the folk-tale corpus to find that this group of heroic
tales has held its ground so long and so vigorously,
whilst the written record, being so much fuller in the one
case than in the other, we are enabled to verify for the
hero-tale group what we can only surmise for the folk-tale
group. All investigation into the nature and origin of
traditional literature among the Gael must therefore
start with an accurate knowledge and a searching criti-
cism of the Ossianic cycle. It was with the object
of obtaining a guiding principle in accordance wath
which a number of isolated facts could be classified
that I put together my notes in the second volume of
this series on the development of the Ossianic saga.
As a matter of fact, the task I there essayed had not
been essayed before, and in spite of shortcomings, of
which I am more conscious than anyone else can be, I
venture to think that these notes may be found useful by
others. I do not propose to go over the same ground
again, but will merely emphasise what seemed to me
then, and still seems to me, the chief conclusion to be
drawn from the facts which I set forth, namely, that
from the earliest date to which w'e can trace it, the
Ossianic saga is romantic rather than historical ; in
other words, it narrates to a very slight extent events
which ever actually happened, or which ever would
happen. Since the appearance of Mr. Maclnnes's
volume a new theory has been propounded re-
specting Finn Mac Cumhal himself, and respecting
the proper place of the Fenian stories in the history
of Irish literature. This theory, due to Professor H.
Zimmer of Greifswald, is urged with all the learned
xxli Introduction.
professor's wonted acuteness, subtlety of thought, and
exhaustive knowledge of early Irish literature. I gave
a brief sketch of this theory in the Academy for Feb. 14
last. This sketch I here reprint with some slight modi-
fication. I would, however, earnestly urge upon all who
care for these subjects not to rest content with my bare
summary, which necessarily fails to do justice to Professor
Zimmer's argument, but to read for themselves the
original article, the title of which will be found at the
foot of this page.^
The historical conditions which form the basis of Prof.
Zimmer's argument are, briefly, as follows : In 795 Norwegian
Vikings appear for the first time upon the coasts of Ireland,
which they assail and harry for more than half a century. At
first they only plunder and sail away ; but soon they fix them-
selves in the land ; seize upon strategic points, ally themselves
with the native kings (who eagerly seek their aid in the inter-
minable conflicts which every Irish chieftain waged with all
his neighbours), marry native women (who greatly appreciated
their stature and comeliness), and become halfJrish. In the
early years of the ninth century a Norwegian leader, Thorgils,
seeks to found a Norse kingdom, but fails and is slain. The
political organisation of Ireland is not seriously affected by the
Norsemen. It is otherwise with the next batch of invaders —
the Danish Vikings — who appear in the middle of the ninth
century, seize and hold Dublin both against Irish and Nor-
wegians, whom they defeat with terrible slaughter, and found
a Danish kingdom, which has imitators in the South and West,
plays its part in the ceaseless warfare that rages between the
head-king of Ireland and the under-kings, and which is at times
the most powerful political factor in the island. The Danes
remain heathens until the middle of the tenth century, when
1 Zeitschrijt fur deutsches Aliertlnan. Vol. 53. H. Zimmer,
Keltische Beitriige, III, weitere nordgermanische einfliisse in der
altesten iiberlieferung der irischen heldensage ; ursprung und
entwickelung der Finn-(Ossian-)sage ; die vikinger Irlands in Sage;
geschichte und recht der Iren.
Introdttction. xxiii
Anlaf, son of Sitric, invades England, is conquered by Ead-
mund, and submits to baptism in the year 943. Christianity
furthered the assimilation of Celt and Scandinavian, as did
likewise the political events of the late tenth and early eleventh
centuries, when the Munster chief, Brian, wrested for a time
the head-kingship of Ireland from the North-Irish chiefs, with
the aid of the Danish Vikings, and then turning against the
latter, inflicted upon them the defeat of Clontarf, which, how-
ever slight in its immediate effects, yet marks the termination
of the period of invasions. The later raid of Magnus Baie-
legs (a.d. 1 103) was an isolated event, standing in no real con-
nection with the invasions of the ninth and tenth centuries.
Such is the historical background to the Fenian saga.
Prof Zimmer first examines the fifteenth century account of
Finn, which represents him as the head of a standing militia
engaged chiefly in protecting the coasts of Ireland. He has
little difficulty in showing that at the period assigned to him
(second and third century, a.d.) Ireland was exposed to no
invasions, and that texts of the tenth and eleventh centuries
which deal fully with the history of that period know nothing
of any standing militia. Moreover, the texts of the older
Ultonian heroic cycle, redacted in the seventh century, revised
and interpolated down to the tenth century, although they
contain numerous traces of the influence exercised upon them,
by both the classical and Christian culture which blossomed
forth so richly in Ireland in the seventh and eighth centuries,
and by the Norse mythic and heroic tales of a later period, yet
show no sign of any such institution as that pictured in the
later Fenian texts. Nor is any mention made in the Book of
Rights, a compilation of the late tenth century, of the elabo-
rate code of rights and privileges of the Fenians as we know
them from the fully developed Fenian saga.
Irish texts of the eighth-twelfth centuries repeatedly present
the word Jiaiui, plural fianna {aXso fennid), in the sense of
" warrior", " warrior band". Fater texts specialise the mean-
ing, referring it to the warrior bands of Finn and Goll, the
Fenian militia. The woxdjiann is a loan-word from the Norse ;
it is the Norsejiandi, plural ^andr — "enemy". In illustration
xxlv Introduction.
of the contention a passage is quoted from the Orgain brudne
da Derga, an Irish hero-tale, the text of which as we have
it goes back to the tenth century. Ingcel and his fellow-pirates
are attacking the house in which the high-king of Ireland is
passing the night. " Up, Tfa;/;^," says he to his men; "let us
attack the house." When they draw near, the king, hearing a
noise, asks who is there. " Fianna," answers one of his
champions. The Norse A^iking was thus the enemy par excel-
lence, he was also/^r excelkfice the brave enemy, the warrior
whose valour roused the admiration of the puny {scJundcJitig)
Irishmen. From thence to " mercenary", " chieftain's suite",
"fighting force of the clan", the transition is easy. Examples
of all these various meanings are given, and it is shown that the
word occurs in passages where Norsemen are either mentioned
or where their presence may be suspected. In the form Fene
the word likewise came to specifically denote one of the races
inhabiting Ireland. This took place when the original connec-
tion between the -words Jia?i?ia and fene and the Scandinavian
population had died out of the popular mind. Thus a verse in
Fiacc's hymn to Patrick, which runs thus, " he [Patrick]
preached thrice thirty years to the heathen bands of the Fene",
was taken in the sense that J^;ie was an old generic name for
the population of Ireland. But how comes a name originally
applied to Norse Vikings to appear in an early hymn to
Patrick ? The apostle of Ireland certainly never preached to the
Norwegians. No, but the tenth-century Irishmen thought he
did. Prof. Zimmer quotes several texts, of which I shall men-
tion the most important presently, in support of this statement.
But why did they believe this ? The answer to the question is
suggested by the consideration of the Patrician documents in
the Book of Armagh. Ever since the beginning of the eighth
century Armagh had striven to push her claims to primacy ;
she had valiantly stood on the side of Rome in the struggle
against the particularist usages of the Celtic Church (reckoning
of Easter and special form of tonsure), and had not hesitated
to forge a series of documents in furtherance of the Roman
claims. Prof. Zimmer hints that the primacy was the price
Rome paid to Armagh for this support. But the pretensions
Introduction. xxv
of Armagh were not finally accepted by the Irish Church until
the middle of the ninth century, and we can follow the stages
of the conflicts in the Annals. In the tenth century a new
danger arises : the Danish king is baptised in England ; the
Danish Christian community looks to Canterbury rather than
to Armagh. The old device is resorted to, and a series of pious
fabrications of the last quarter of the tenth century represent
Patrick as having converted the ancestors of the Danes. The
device met with the success that attended any more than
usually outrageous perversion of the truth in the Middle Ages
generally, and in Ireland specially. Armagh triumphed ; but
her very triumph led to oblivion of the facts. In the eleventh
century, when the mythology and heroic history of Ireland
were thrown into chronological form, the Irish antiquaries were
puzzled by the statement that Patrick had converted the Fene ;
they had forgotten all about the Danes, to them the Fene were
one of the early races of Ireland, and they romanced about
them to the top of their bent. But by this time, as we shall
see presently, Finn and his men had been transferred back
into the third century. The connection of Fene with Finn was
by this time well established. But the Irish antiquaries of the
eleventh century knew that Patrick was later than the third
century ; they got over the difficulty by feigning that some of
the Fene had lived long enough to be converted by the apostle
of Ireland. Thus arose the fable of the supernaturally
prolonged Ufe of Ossian and Cailte.
Let us now turn to a tenth-century text which brings to-
gether Patrick and the Fene. " Loegaire's Conversion" states
that Patrick codified the customs of Ireland with the help of
eight other commissioners, two with himself to represent the
Church (Benen, Cairnech) ; three representatives of the kingly
power (Loegaire the head-king, and the under-kings of Ulster
and Munster) ; and three others, Dubthach, head bard of Ire-
land, Fergus the poet, and Rus mac Tricim sin berla feni, " a
knower of speech of the feni." This Rus mac Tricim is a Rus
Tryggvasonar, and the berta feni is Norse. This fable corre-
sponds to a fact. The Senchus Mor, the most considerable
codification of early Irish custom which has come down to us,
xxvi Introduction.
is no purely Irish text of the fifth-sixth centuries, but a late
tenth-century codification of Irish, Norse, and Norse-Irish
custom, which came into existence when the Scandinavian
invaders had welded themselves into the political and social
life of Ireland.
So far has the word " fiann" carried us. Now for the earliest
accounts of Finn himself. These date from the tenth century,
and figure him as the chief of a Viking band, strong in the
possession of the strategic position of Almu, allying himself now
with this now with that native chief, making love early and
often, playing such rough practical jokes upon his followers as
to tie up one naked to a tree all night because he had deemed
it too cold to go out when told (an interesting testimony to the
antiquity of the special Teutonic form of humour), son prob-
ably of a Norse father and an Irish mother, and endowed w^ith
the seer's gift. As early as the second half of the tenth
century he figures as a personage of the second and third
centuries. How did this happen ? The circumstances of the
times in which the historical Finn (the semi-Viking semi-Irish
chief) lived must have been hke those of the third century, so
like as to induce confusion in the minds of the tenth-century
Irishmen who had no correct idea of the past.
Now at the end of the second century Ireland is equally
divided between Mug Nuadat and Conn Cetchathach. In the
middle of the ninth century Fedlimid mac Crimthain is the
recognised king of Southern Ireland {leth Moga, Mogs's half).
The record of his struggles with the Northern kings, Niall
and Maelsechlainn, recalls that of the second-third century
head-kings. Art and Cormac mac Airt, against Southern
Ireland. Indeed, it may be assumed that the tenth-eleventh
century accounts of the second-third century wars were in-
fluenced by the real history of the ninth century. In one
instance this can be proved. A late tenth-century North
Irish poet decks out the legendary North Irish third-century
king, Cormac mac Airt, with traits derived from the historical
South Irish bishop-king of Cashcl, Cormac, slain m 903.
Again, in one of the oldest tales about Finn, his father, Cumall,
carries off his mother Murni, daughter of Tadg mac Nuadat.
Introdttction. xxvii
Now Ailill Aulom, a celebrated legendary king of the early
third century, is a son of Mog Nuadat (mac Moga Nuadat) ;
whilst Tadg mac Cein is a prominent figure in the Leinster
legendary history of the late third century. Tadg mac Nuadat
reminded the Irish story-tellers of both these earlier personages,
who were separated by nearly two generations — hence he was
sometimes dated as if he belonged to the one, sometimes as if
he belonged to the other generation, a fact which explains the
uncertainty that prevails in the earliest Fenian texts about
Finn's alleged date, and his being made to live over a period
of some 150 years. Finn is thus brought down to the period
of Fedlimid mac Crimthain, i.e., to the early eighth century ;
and we find at this date a Caittil Find who was slain in Munster
in 856 by Imar and Olaf, kings of the Dublin Danes. These
had appeared in Ireland a few years previously, and their hand
had been laid as heavily upon their Norwegian predecessors
as upon the native Irish. The Norsemen — now after two
generations half-Irish — made common cause with the natives
against them. Caittil Find was their chief leader j his defeat
and death in 856 marks the triumph of the Danish invaders,
who were to rule in Dublin for three centuries. About Caittil
Find himself — half-Norse, half-Irish — gathered every floating
story, every characteristic trait that the Irish knew of in con-
nection with the Norsemen. His fight against the Danish
overlord, when transferred back into the third century, becomes
the fight of the Fenian militia against the head-king of Ireland.
But, it may be objected. Find is no Norse name. No, it is the
Irish translation of hviti, "white". This nickname of his
had been taken by the Irish for his proper name, and translated
by them, and as the form it thus assumed in Irish, Find, is a
frequent element in many Irish names, e.g., Findbar, Findlog,
etc., the recognisable part of the name, "Find", persisted, and
the unrecognisable part, Caittil, died out. Thus the twelfth-
century scribe of the Book of Leinster fragment of Cogadh
Gaedhel substitutes for the unintelligible word Caittil the Irish
word caur, "hero", in the passage describing Caittil's defeat
by Olaf. Many of the Vikings of the first invasion, who came
mostly from the Hardangerfiord, had hviti as their name or
xxviil hitroduction.
nickname. Indeed, the predominance of the name "white"
struck the fancy of the Irish, and they called the over-sea
visitors findgeiiti, " white strangers". Later, when the Danes
appeared, and straightway came to blows with the Norsemen,
they were distinguished as dubhgefifi, "black strangers".
The after development of the Fenian saga is conditioned
partly by its semi-Norse origin, partly by the fact that the
later bards borrowed scenes, incidents, and traits from the
older Cuchulain cycle, and wove them into the new heroic
epos. One instance may suffice. In the Cuchulain cycle
Ulster defies the remainder of Ireland : Cuchulain, single-
handed, holds at bay all the forces of the South and West. In
the Fenian saga Ireland takes the place of Ulster, and success-
fully withstands the onslaught of the King of the World and
his motley tribe of allies. Through all, too, pierces the original
heathen character of the eponymous hero of the saga. But
South Ireland was already Christian in the third-fourth
centuries, so that conscious heathen practices, definitely recog-
nised and described as such, could no more have occurred
there in the ninth century than in the Germany of the twelfth
or thirteenth century. Another testimony this to the imported
nature of Fenian legends. The most distinctive trait of heath-
enism associated with Finn himself, and the one which seems
to have impressed the Irish the most vividly, is his divinatory
power, and the magic practices with which it was accompanied.
From one of the oldest Finn stories, dating back to the tenth
century, we learn the names of these practices, imbas forosnai,
teinm laegda. This latter cannot be explained in Irish ; it is
the old- Norse /fzVmr /a/^/r =" the thrown staves", and this
method of divining the future may be compared with the
casting of " surculi' described by Tacitus in chap, x of the
Gcniiania.
One other point may be cited. Lochlann has hitherto been
referred to Norway, and explained as " lake-land''. But ac-
cording to Prof. Zimmer, the oldest form is Lof/i/i/id, gen.
LaUhlinde, and it is an Irish rendering of Laland, the island
whence came the first Danish Vikings. At first it designated
the Danes' country alone, and received the extended meaning
of Scandinavia generally at a comparatively late period.
Introduction. xxix
The arguments against the theory are of two kinds,
(i) the purely philological ones, (2) the historical ones.
Prof. Zimmer lays great stress upon his philological
V explanation of the word " fiann". But every one of his
contentions has been traversed by Mr. Whitley Stokes,
a philologist of the highest reputation and authority, as
was indeed lately evidenced by his being made the
recipient of the most valued honour that can be be-
stowed upon a scholar — corresponding membership of
the French Institute. But Mr. Whitley Stokes did not
confine himself to philological arguments, which only an
expert can appreciate. He likewise challenged the
German professor's explanation of the Irish phrase
teinni laegda, and declared that the proper Irish form
is teinm taido, that the signification is quite different
from that asserted by Prof Zimmer, and that the phrase
can have nothing to do with a Norse teinar laig^ir,
which, moreover, is a purely hypothetical form, and
cannot be instanced from any Norse writings.
Further historical arguments in disproof of the theory
have been brought forward by Prof Kuno Meyer and
Mons. H. d' Arbois de Jubainville. Those of the latter have
great interest in view of the bearing of Prof Zimmer's
revolutionary theory upon the proper interpretation of
the Irish Brehon laws which have hitherto been regarded
as one of the most archaic bodies of Aryan custom in
existence, but which, if the Greifswald scholar is right,
can no longer pretend to that position. Mons. d'Arbois
de Jubainville has made a long and profound study of
Irish law ; it is not too much to say all Celtic scholars,
save, perhaps. Prof Zimmer, regard him as the leading
authority upon the subject. His opinion carries, there-
fore, the greatest weight. Now, the hypothesis treats
Fcne^ a designation of the Irish race, in whole or in part,
as a development of the word '■^fiami', which denotes
primarily the invading, then the settled Norsemen and
XXX Introduction.
Danes. It is hardly too much to say that this develop-
ment could not have been completed before the first
quarter of the tenth century. All texts, therefore, in
which the word fene occurs, would, in their present form,
be no older than the middle of that century. But Mons.
d'Arbois de Jubainville shows that, whilst the Senchas
Mor, as we now have it, is a compilation of comparatively
recent date (possibly as late as the tenth, more probably
of the eighth, century), it is based upon and often repro-
duces verbally much older texts. Among the very
oldest portions the word Fcue occurs several times, and
in a connection which absolutely forbids the late date
which Prof, Zimmer's theory postulates. Again, Mons.
d'Arbois de Jubainville urges a much earlier date for
Orgain brudne da Derga than that allowed by Prof
Zimmer; he would put it back to the seventh century,
and he looks upon the word Jiann, which is used in it, as
belonging to the oldest portion of the story, and conse-
quently as existing with the signification "warrior" long
prior to the middle of the ninth century.
The force of these objections can be appreciated by
all. I would merely add that others, like myself, have
doubtless felt the improbability of the starting-point of
the whole hypothesis — that invaders, namely, should de-
scribe themselves as enemies, and that the inhabitants of
the invaded country should appropriate this foreign word,
and by a progressive series of favourable significations
come at last to use it as a designation of themselves. It
may further be noted, with respect to Prof Zimmer's
theory, how Caitill Find came to be known in Irish
legend as Find simply, that the antagonist of Caitill,
Olaf, the Dublin Dane-king, invariably bears the nick-
name hvitt, the white one, in the Norse sagas, yet he is
never called Find by any Irish authority. Where, know-
ing that the nickname existed, we find that it was not
translated, ought we not to look askance at the supposi-
Introduction. xxxi
tion of translation in a case where we have not one jot
of evidence that the nickname ever did exist ?
It is far from my wish to prejudice a question which
only Celtic experts can decide. I have essayed to set
forth the arguments p7'o and cotz, fairly and clearly. But
it may not be out of place to add a few remarks which
can hardly fail to suggest themselves to the careful student
of the Ossianic cycle. Whoso, for instance, met this
cycle for the first time in the following pages could not
but be struck with the insistence laid upon the oversea
element. Finn and his men are always repelling Loch-
lann raiders, or themselves paying hostile visits to the
King of Lochlann, and carrying off his treasures or his
women. Now, it is certain that nothing of the kind
happened in the third century — the period to which the
Irish annals assign Finn. Whether Prof Zimmer is
right or wrong in claiming Cumhal's son as a half-
Viking, none the less is it certain that a large portion of
Ossianic cycle reflects conditions which only obtained
during the Viking period, i.e., as far as Ireland is con-
cerned, from the end of the eighth to the beginning of
the twelfth century, when the last Norse raid, that of
Magnus Bare Legs, took place. But this was an isolated
event, and, substantially speaking, the close of the Viking
period in Ireland may be said to be marked by the battle
of Clontarf, at the beginning of the eleventh century.
Now, why, if the historic basis of the cycle is furnished by
events of the third century, do we nevertheless find that
the majority of the texts reveal a state of affairs which
cannot be older than the ninth century ? Here Prof.
Zimmer's theory would seem to be more in accord with
the facts of the case than the one previously current.
But, on the other hand, it must be noted that the texts
in question invariably picture Finn and his men in
standing antagonism with the Lochlann folk. How
does this agree with Prof. Zimmer's view ? True, his
xxxii Introduction.
Finn is only half a Viking ; true, he falls fighting against
the Danish invader; still he has Viking blood and Viking
ways, and it hardly seems likely that Irish legend would
represent him as the defender par excellence of Ireland
against oversea raiders. I submitted this difficulty to
Prof Zimmer, who answered in effect that I was arguing
from one section only of Fenian texts. The quarrel of
Finn and the Lochlannach is, he says, a special feature of
the North Irish and Highland texts, to be accounted for
by the presence of Lochlannach in North-west Scotland
as late as the fifteenth century, and by their conflicts with
the Celtic population. It is necessary to follow up this
hint, as it compels some sort of classification in the exist-
ing body of Ossian texts, and such classification is the
indispensable preliminary to a sound criticism of the
cycle.
Roughly speaking, the Fenian or Ossianic texts may
be divided into two classes, those vouched for by
MSS. which reach back beyond the middle of the
twelfth century, and those for which we have only much
younger MS. authority. Of the former I need only
repeat again that their presentment of Fionn is fully as
romantic as that of the later texts. I have referred to
the majority of these texts in my notes to vol. ii of
this series. The second class comprises by far the
larger number of Fenian texts. Roughly speaking, it
admits of a threefold division : (i) Prose texts, of which
the AgallamJi na Senoraib, or Discourse of the Elders,
is the most important, and which are at least as old as the
beginning of the fifteenth century, as they are found in
MSS. of that date. (2) A body of ballad poetry which is at
least as old as the end of the fifteenth century, as it is
largely extant in the Dean of Lisniores Book, a West
Highland MS. of the early sixteenth century, and which
has maintained itself orally in Gaelic Scotland down to
the present day. Most of the texts in the present volume
Introdiution. xxxiii
belong to this class. (3) A similar body of ballad poetry
found in Irish MSS. of the last and present century.
The second and third sub-classes are largely alike, but
by no means entirely so ; certain episodes and incidents
are to the best of my knowledge and belief only found in
the Scotch Gaelic, others only in the Irish Gaelic texts.
Of many texts common to both, the Scotch MS. au-
thorisation reaches two centuries farther back than does
the Irish.
Sub-classes 2 and 3 differ profoundly from sub-
class I. Not only are the episodes, the incidents, the
themes different, but the whole colouring and setting,
the whole tone and temper are unlike. Are we then
to conclude that some time between the beginning of
the fifteenth century, when the AgallamJi na Senoraib
form of the Fenian legend is vouched for by several MSS.,
and the end of the same century, when the ballad form
appears fully developed in the book of the Dean of
Lismore, the legend was profoundly modified in form
(from prose to verse), in subject-matter, and in temper?
Or are we to look upon the ballad as possibly of equal
antiquity with the AgallamJi na Senoraib form, and
as owing its peculiarities to having developed in a
different part of Gaeldom, among different historical
conditions ? Again, must we look upon the Irish
ballads as an offshoot from the Scotch ballad stock?
This would seem to follow if we pursue Professor
Zimmer's argument to its legitimate conclusion.
One way of settling the question would be by a
careful comparison of those ballads which are found
substantially in the same form in both Scotland and
Ireland. This is one of the tasks which await future
students. Another way is to examine the differentia
between the AgallamJi na Senoraib and the ballads. I
have already touched upon this subject (Maclnnes,
(p. 411), and I would here only emphasise one point,
C
xxxiv Introduction.
In Agallamli na Stnoraib the witness to the departed
glories of the Fenian band is Caoilte, in the ballads Oisin.
Now Caoilte is on excellent terms with St. Patrick,
for whom he has a proper and becoming respect. It
is quite otherwise with Oisin. The aged hero is per-
petually reviling the saint, perpetually comparing past
heathendom with present Christianity, greatly to the
disadvantage of the latter, perpetually making the most
unorthodox remarks.
" I would take more delight in the bound of the buck,
Or in looking at badgers between two glens ;
Than in all that thy mouth promiseth me,
And all the joys I would get in heaven beyond" —
{Oss. Soc, iv, 41.)
says the defiant old pagan in the Irish version, whilst
in the Lismore one the corresponding passage runs —
" Didst thou hear the hounds and the sounds of the hunt?
Thou wouldst rather be there than in the holy city."
(Li's ///ore, 19.)
Now, is this temper a creation of the fifteenth
century? a specific Scotch-Gaelic graft on the legend
trunk ? It may be so, but it seems to me to require a
deal of proving. Again, one can hardly fail to be
struck by the kinship of tone between the Gaelic poems
ascribed to Oisin, and the Welsh ones ascribed to
Llywarch Hen. In both cases the reputation of poet
is simply due to the semi-dramatic nature of the com-
position. Both Oisin and Llywarch Hen were regarded
as fit personages in whose mouths to place sentiments
of a particular cast, and later ages finding this or that
elegy or battle piece assigned to the Gaelic or Welsh
prince naturally considered them as being the authors
of the same. Oisin and Llywarch are both old and
feeble, the last survivors of a mighty generation,
Introduction. xxxv
savagely rebellious against the slings and arrows of
outrageous age, bitterly mindful of the pride and lust
of their youth.
" Wooden crook ! is it not the spring,
When cuckoos are brown, when the foam is bright.
And I, lack a maid's love ?
******
What I loved when a youth are hateful to me now,
A stranger's daughter and a gray steed.
Am I not for them unmeet ?
I am old, I am lonely, I am decrepit and cold.
After lying on fair rich couches,
I am miserable, thrice bent !" (Skene, F. A. B., 328.)
Thus the Kymro complains —
" No soft wooing, and no chase
In both of which I took delight.
Without the battle-march or fight,
Alas, how sorrowful life's close." [Lis/nore, 5.)
Or again :
" Feeble this night is the power of my arm,
My strength is no more as it was ;
No wonder though I should mourn.
Poor, old relic that I am." {Lisinore, 13.)
answers the Gael.
Now the Welsh poems are assuredly far older than the
fifteenth century, and it seems more reasonable to hold
that this kinship of situation and temper between the two
literatures is due to some special impulse which affected
alike the bards of Gaeldom and those of Wales, than to
look upon it as a simple coincidence. But this impulse
could hardly have stirred Ireland two or three centuries
later than Wales.
One thing finally should be noticed. If the ballad-
poetry be a late and specifically Northern Gaelic dcve-
xxxvi Introduction.
lopment, then the Highland savants of the last century
were right, and " Ossian" (meaning thereby the ballads
partially known to and used by Macpherson) was Scotch
rather than Irish.
What I have now said, and what may be found in my
notes to Mr. Maclnnes' volume, will suffice, I hope, to
give some idea of the complexity and interest of the
questions connected with the Ossianic cycle. The notes
at the end of this volume are intended to be of use to
such as wish to pursue, investigation for themselves.
They chiefly consist of references to M. d'Arbois de
Jubainville's list of Irish sources, and to Campbell of
Islay's LeabJiar na Feinne, in which the entire corpus of
Scotch-Gaelic Fenian ballad-poetry is reproduced. The
materials thus lie ready to the hand of the student.
Will the Gael of Scotland leave the task of elucidating
and interpreting the heroic epos of their race to German
scholars? I have spoken of Professor Zimmer ; let me
now mention such men as Professor Windisch, as Kuno
Meyer, as Max Nettlau, who are labouring unweariedly
in the field of Celtic research. Labouring unweariedly,
not because it is their business ; each of those scholars
has other and arduous duties to perform first, but with
that ardent zeal for knowledge which is the crowning
glory of Germany. And all this while the academic
world of Scotland (with but few honourable excep-
tions) stands by idle, and neglects its birthright. Men
who have but a tithe of the work, but triple and quad-
ruple the remuneration of these German scholars, are
content to let this noble and inspiring subject of study
pass out of their hands — hands of sons — into those of
strangers. It is, indeed, characteristic of this country
that, when Lord Archibald Campbell sought assistance
in the task of preserving the traditions of his race, he
sought it not from professional scholars, but from hard-
working ministers of religion ; characteristic also that
Introchiction. xxxvii
the most extensive, the most important, the most
valuable series of researches which have appeared in
Scotland in this department of study are due to a
country gentleman, Campbell of Islay.
Let us look at the matter in another way. There is
but one other race of modern Europe which has pre-
served to the present day an heroic epos reaching back
into a far distant past. I allude to the Finns, and to
their noble mythico-heroic poem, the Kalewala. Contrast
the loving care with which official and academic Finland
has cherished the Kalewala, the scientific thoroughness
with which every variant has been noted, the recognition
of the epic as an object of national pride, national soli-
citude, with the treatment of the Ossianic ballads in
Scotland — a contrast all to the discredit and disgrace of
the richer and more illustrious people.
And yet who shall say that the Fenian hero-tales are
unworthy the care, the study which every other European
race has bestowed upon its national traditions ? Let us
not forget that for hundreds of years these tales were the
delight and solace of our forefathers, that they spring
from the heart's blood of the race, that they have become
bone of the bone, flesh of the flesh of the Gael whereso-
ever he has fixed his dwelling. Simply consider the
cold, abstract scientific value of an oral tradition which is
still quick and flourishing. So long as men live the tale
of Troy divine will be to them both a delight and a
wonder, an imperishable source of beauty, and a problem
the fascination of which may not be gainsaid. The great
Karling may perchance live longer as the white-bearded
emperor of the Chanson de Roland than as the heir of
the Csesars. And the German songs proudly vaunt, and
not without reason, that the praise of Siegfried and Dietrich
shall never die from out men's mouths. Of xA.rthur, too,
the same boast was made. But all these mighty epics,
although they form a part of humanity's most precious
XXXV ili Inti^oduction.
treasure, are yet dead in a certain sense ; they have
faded out of the folk-consciousness, we know of them
from books alone. But if every book in the world were
to perish we could find the tale of Finn and his men
still entire in the memories of men who know nothing of
books, whose culture is due solely to oral tradition.
Here, then, is means of verifying the hypotheses that
have been put forth so freely concerning the genesis and
development of heroic tradition ; here, and here alone
in Western Europe can we study the physiology of
tradition from a living specimen instead of from
anatomical plates. Gaelic Scotland has at length
organised the song- and letters-loving tendencies of her
children, as the Kymry of Wales did long since. Let
the first task of the Scotch Eisteddfod be to promote
the criticism of the one living hero-cycle of Western
Europe, the tales of Finn MacCumhal and the Fian
band.
Alfred Nutt.
NOTE
In giving the Tales collected by the Reverend J. G.
Campbell to the public, I must not omit to express the
warmest thanks for services rendered by Mr. DuNCAN
MacIsaac, of Oban, who has been an invaluable aid to
us in getting the work ready for the Press. He has
assisted us in every way, and been of the very greatest
use in the Gaelic portion ; a prompt, able, and an
enthusiastic and willing worker at what I feel will not
be labour lost in rescuing the Tales of our beloved
land from oblivion.
Archibald Campbell.
THE F I A N S.
Previous to written history, and indeed outside of the
literary world, there was to be found among the Celtic
races a profusion of traditions and tales which may be
said to have been a closed book to the rest of the world.
Songs and traditions exist among all races, but among
the Celtic tribes, whose wealth of imagination and gene-
ral intelligence are known, or with which they are at
least credited, there existed an abundance of legends
and tales and poetry which it is very desirable should be
laid hold of The position which these tales and poems
occupy is difficult to fix. They are not pure imagina-
tion, and it would not be safe to look upon them as
historical truths. In the early period of history, as in
the infancy of the individual, the power of credence is
unlimited, and the most extraordinary stories pass un-
challenged : ogres, giants, and people of strange shapes
and marvellous powers are readily believed in. When
the field of imagination is entered upon there is no
obstacle in the way which the mind cannot get over.
There is a saying, with which the writer has fallen in,
in Skye, that the oldest ballad is the " Lay of the Red"
{Dan an Deirg), as the oldest history known to the
Celts was the history of Connal Gulban, and the oldest
poem the " Lay of the Great Fool", and the greatest
praise the praise of Loch Key.
" Every ballad to the Ballad of the Red,
Every history to the History of Connal,
Every lay to the Lay of the Great Fool,
And every praise to the Praise of Loch Key."
I
2 The Fians.
" Gach Dan gu Dan an Deirg,
Gach Eachdraidh gu Eachdraidh Chonaill,
Gach Laoidh gu Laoidh an Amadain Mhoir :
'S gach Moladh gu Moladh Loch Ce."
(See Nicolson's Proverbs, p. 189.)
Perhaps even older than these is the fairy song, or
lullaby ascribed to the fairies, and reaching at least
to pagan times ; indeed, probably as old a ditty as
we have in Gaelic, in which the following passage
occurs : —
" My cause of merriment, soft and sweet art thou,
Of the race of Coll and Conn art thou.
My cause of merriment, soft and sweet art thou,
Of the race of Conn art thou.
'* My soft cause of merriment, my soft rushes,
My lovely rock plant,
Were it not for the charm that is on your foot
We would lift you with us.
'* Of the race of Coll and Conn art thou,
My cause of merriment, soft and sweet art thou,
My soft cause of merriment
My knee has brought up,
Were it not for the burn on your foot
We would lift you with us."
" Mo mhire bhog bhinn thu,
Siol Cholla 's Chuinn thu.
Mo mhire bhog bhinn thu,
Siol a chinne Chuinn thu.
" Mo mhire bhog, mo luachair bhog,
Mo chneamh an creig,
Mar bhi an sian th' air do chois,
Gu'n togamaid leinn thu.
Antiquity of Fenian Stories.
"Siol ChoUa is Chuinn thu,
Mo mhire bhog bhinn thu,
Mo mhire bhog,
Mo ghlun a ihog,
Mar bhi an losgadh th' air do chois,
(lu'n togarnaid leinn thu."
This lullaby attracts attention not only by its weird and
beautiful music, resembling the wild night-wind about
the house or in neighbouring trees, but also by its
allusion to the race of Coll and Conn, which are not
commonly to be met with ; in fact, till a person becomes
acquainted with the heroes of Ossian's time, he will be
unable well to understand these allusions. At one time
the tales of the Fian heroes were common all over the
Highlands, but are now only to be fallen in with in
some localities. The fairy lullaby is here given to illus-
trate the antiquity and prevalence of the stories which
are collected in this volume. With greater facilities of
making one's self acquainted with different parts of the
Highlands, it is very likely that a good many more of
the same kind might be fallen in with. The writer can
only say that he has endeavoured to make the best of
such material as he has met with, and that it is here
given without addition, subtraction, or alteration of any
kind. There are many questions of interest as to
the date, antiquity, and origin of these stories and
poems, but they have been avoided, and it is as free to
the reader to form his opinion as it is to the writer.
Tales of this kind are denominated, in popular lore,
" Tales of Fionn, Son of Cumhal, and the Fian Host"
{Naigheachdan air Fionn MacCumliail agns Feachd na
Fein?ie), and the matter to which they refer was so much
the subject of talk that it became a saying, that if the
Fians were twenty-four hours without anyone men-
tioning them they would rise again. They are lying, it
I -
4 The Fians.
is said, in the boat-shaped mound called Tom-na-h-
iubhraich, which for some years past has been used by
the town of Inverness as a burying-ground ; others say
they are lying in Glenorchy, Argyleshire ; and there is
a story that when they were last seen it was by a person
who chanced to enter the place where they are lying.
When he struck a chain that was suspended from the
roof, the Fians rose upon their elbows, and their big
dogs began to bark. The intruder was so much
frightened that he ran away. As he was going out at
the door he heard a voice calling —
" Evil and ill-guided man,
Who leaves us worse than when found."
" A dhuine dhona dholaich
'S miosa dh' fhag na fhuair."
The tenacity of popular tradition is shown by the
fact of these compositions being still to be fallen in
with in widely separated parts of the Highlands and
Islands, though rare and much mutilated. Of the
versions which the writer has been able to fall in with,
or has seen in print, this is particularly noticeable ; the
history of Connal has fallen to pieces, so that it may
now be classified among the fireside tales i^Sgeulachdan).
The Lay of the Great Fool is, from its character and
incidents, apparently a fragment of Druidic times. It
contains stories of enchantments and allegories of a
different type from any now current, or to be found
within the fields of literature. The Ballad of the Red
contains one verse which is of much value, from the old-
time reference which it contains. It was heard from a
person who had heard the ballad from his mother, a
native of Jura, perhaps forty-five or fifty years ago, and
this was the only part of the poem he could remember.
The story of the Red was to the effect that the Red
was married, and was in doubt whether his wife loved
Conlaock ami CzLckullin.
him or not. He was induced to appear as if killed in
the chase, and he was taken or carried home "on a
shutter" and laid out as if dead. His wife sat beside
the body, and then crooned or sang the " Lay of the
Red". The noticeable verse was —
" I see the hawk, I see the hound
With which my love hunted ;
Since well he loved the three,
Let us be laid in the grave with the Red."
" Chi mi un t-sheobhag, chi mi 'an cu
Leis an deanamh mo run 'n t-sealg
On a b' ionmhuinn leis an triuir
■ Carair sinn san uir le Dearg."
{^QQ. Nicholson'' s Proverbs, p. 415 ; Gillies' Collection, p. 301.)
This verse is of more than passing interest, as it
points to a time when those in high estate were wont to
hunt with hawk and hound, and even it may be to a
time when suttee was practised, and the wives of great
men were buried along with them, as is still done in India.
In ancient sepulchral mounds which antiquaries have
fallen in with, the grave is about three feet in length,
and the hero was placed apparently in a sitting position.
Smaller bones have been found in a grave adjoining the
sarcophagus, and it is impossible to say whether they
were the bones of a slenderer human being or those of a
dog.
An earlier stratum of legend than that commemorating
the Fenian heroes is preserved orally in the Highlands,
as specimens of which may be cited the stories of Con-
laoch and Cuchullin, and of Deirdre.
The Fians.
CONLAOCH AND CUCHULLIN.
In the poems published by Macpherson CuchulHn
figures as one of the characters, but in the tales and
traditions about him which are still to be found floating,
he does not figure as one of the Fian or Fingalian
band. The popular tale told of him is that he lived at
Dunscaith {Dunsgdich), in the district of Sleat, in Skye.
Some say that he was apprenticed to a smith in the
locality, and was taught all the arts of war {air fbghhim
cogaidJi). Here he left his wife, and told her that the
child to be born to her, if a male child, was to be named
Conlaoch, was to be trained in feats of arms, and when
of age was to go to Ireland, and not tell his name to
anyone except under compulsion {bheireadh air 'ainni
innse), or tell it in spite of himself {bheireadh 'ainm dh'
aindeoin dheth). He himself, Cuchullin, went to Ireland,
and was matchless in prowess. There was one feat
which seems to have consisted of throwing javelins
{gath builg) across water, at which no one at all ven-
tured to compete with him. When Conlaoch was of
age he went to Ireland, and there was a meeting of
nobles, at which no one could equal him in arms. He
was asked his name, but refused, even though the one
who was sent to him complimented him upon his
stature.
" Long and fair is your side, warrior."
" Is fhada briagha do shlios a churaidh."
One who was tutor to Cuchullin told him of this,
and Cuchullin himself went to Conlaoch, who, refusing
to confess his name in any other way, was challenged
to a trial of skill in javelin-throwing {gatJi b?d/g). A
match was fought between them, but in this Cuchullin
mastered him, and Conlaoch, who knew his father.
ConlaocJi and Ctu/iicllin.
though his father did not know him, threw the spear
with the blunt end foremost {an coinneaniJi na h-carraicJi),
but Cuchullin threw his point foremost {an coinneamh a
roinne). Conlaoch was wounded and fell, and when
Cuchullin stooped over him to ascertain his name,
Conlaoch said :
" ' I am Conlaoch, the son of the Dog,
The rightful heir of Dun Telva,
The loved one left in the body
In Dunscaith to be taught.'
" ' My curse, son, upon the mother
From Dunscaith to the tower of learning ;
It was the love that was in her heart
That has now left my heart-strings (?) so red.'
" ' 111 was your recognition of me.
Noble, haughty, loving father.
When I threw aslant and feebly.
The spear wrong end foremost.'
" ' Alas ! alas ! and another alas !
It is not the alas that is to-night the burden.
But the spoils of my son in one hand
And the war weapons in the other.' "
" ' Is mise Conlaoch mac-nan-Con,
Oighre dligheach Dhiin t-sealbha.
An rim a dh' fhagadh am broinn,
An Dun-sgaich ga fhoghlum.'
" ' Mo mhallachd, a mhic, air a mhathair,
O Dhiin-sgaich gu Dim faoghlum ;
'Se an riin bha na cridhe
Dh'fhag mo liantan cho dearg.'
" ' 'S olc an aithne rinn thu orms',
Athair uasail uaibhrich ghradhaich,
Nuair thilginn ort gu fiar fann.
An t-sleagh an ceann a hearraich.'
8 The Fians.
" ' Ocli nan och ! is och eile !
Cha-n i'n och an nochd an eire,
Faoibh mo mhic san darna laimh
'S na h-airm san laimh eile.'"
The dead body of his son was carried by Cuchullin
to the shelter of a tree, and for many days no bird
dared to perch on the tree, or any man to come near ;
he ate no food. At last a crow or raven was observed
to settle on the tree, and then people knew that
Cuchullin was dead.
Deirdre.
The story of Deirdre, whose name figures in Mac-
pherson as Darthula, is to be found in a fragmentary
state in many parts of the Highlands and Islands. Of
the fragments of the poems on the subject which have
been gathered and preserved, many are of the highest
poetic merit. A form of the tale which was got in
Barra is given in the Transactions of the Inverness
Society, vol. xiv, p. 241. That which the writer has
fallen in with is, in the main, to the same effect,
Deirdre was the daughter of the harper of an Irish king,
and a very pretty child. When she was nearing woman-
hood, a young man, Naos, took her away. He was
accompanied by his own two brothers. The king, who
had intended her for himself, when he heard of their
flight, sent for his Druids, who raised a thick wood in
their way, which they said the fugitives could not get
through. Naos, however, and his two brothers cut their
way through the wood, and, accompanied by Deirdre,
fled out of the kingdom. At this point popular imagi-
nation in the prose tales gets full swing, and the fugitives
are represented as having gone to Scotland, etc., and
the story ends with the death of the three brothers,
Deirdre. 9
and ultimately her own self-inflicted death, when she
found that Naos had been killed by the king. The
ample freedom of popular imagination is well shown in
the version of the tale already referred to as having
appeared in the Transactions of the Gaelic Society of
Inverness. The Amhuisgean, which figure in it, are not
mentioned in any other version of the story that has
appeared in print or been heard of by the writer, and it
is possible may have been worked into the story from
some other popular tale.
THE FIANS.
Of the tales and poems still current, and introducing
us to the endless tales of the Feinne or Fingalians, is a
lay commencing with :
" Conn, son of the Red, filled with heavy wrath,
Coming to avenge his father's death without reservation,
On the great nobles and worthies of Ireland."
" Conn Mac-an-Deirg air a lionadh le trom fheirg,
Tighinn a dhioladh has Athair gun fheall.
Air uaislibh 's air maithibh na h-Eirinn."
The tale is one of the superhuman strength of Conn, and
the victory over him by Goll MacMorna, and is evidence
of the wisdom with which Finn had welded together
the originally widely inimical parties of which the Fian
band was made up.
The history of the Fians, or body of strong men to
whom that name is given, may be said to extend as
far back as either history or tradition does. They, the
Feinne, were said to be in two parties, Clanna Molum
and Clanna Baoisgne, and Fionn was leader over them
both. They followed the chase, both in Ireland and
Scotland. Oscar and Dermid were also leaders. Ac-
cording to one account there were 9,000 perfect heroes
{naoi mile gaisgeacJi glan) in the Feinne, and their
work was to guard women from the giants, and
no spells or enchantments could ever lie upon the
Fians {c/ia do luidh geasan air an FJicinn riainh).
Hence their continual success. They were no stronger
than other people, but the excellence of their bards
made them excellent. The best known, and those
regarding whom the tales and ballads are most popu-
lar among the Celtic race, are those of the time of
Macphersons ''Ossian\ ii
Fin MacCoul — Fion7i MacCiunhail. The stories about
this leader and his band were so universal and popular
in the Highlands, that their prevalence was made a
standing joke against Highlanders, and the great
strength and valour ascribed to the band were made fun
of. Thus Dunbar, who lived before the end of the
fifteenth century, speaks of the Celtic hero :
" My fore grandsire hecht Fin MacCoul,
Wha dang the deil and gart him yowll.
The skyis rainit when he would scowll,
He troublit all the air.
He gat my grandsyr Gog Magog ;
Ay whan he dansit the warld wald shog,
Five thousand ellis gaed till his frog,
Of Hieland pladdis, and mair."
This latter saying is of value as proof of the antiquity
of tartan. Other Scottish poets also make mention of
Finn MacCoul, somewhat in a similar slighting manner,
the most ancient of these being Barbour, who, in a
poem called "The Bruce", written about 1380, compares
the defence made by the Bruce at Dalree to that made
by Fingal against Gaul.
The antipathy between Celtic lore and that current
in educated circles in the south culminated on the
appearance of Macpherson's Ossian, which professed
to be poems found floating in the Highlands, and
resembling the poems of Homer and Virgil. The
questions of the authenticity or genuineness of these
poems were warmly controverted, and Dr. Johnson
went to the Highlands, as Walcot says, " to eat Mac-
pherson midst his native North". Without entering in
any way on the questions at issue, it is beyond doubt,,
and open to the judgment of everyone, that the poems
which Macpherson published contain much that is
deserving of attention as good poetry. To those who are
conversant with ballads still to be found among the
12 The Fians.
people, the name of Ossian, or the bard of the Fians, to
whom the ballads are attributed, is worthy of all the
admiration given to him.
The heroes mentioned in the lay, which tells of the
greatest strait in which the Fians ever were {TeamitacJid
inhbr na Fc'inne), seem to have been principally leaders of
tribes who in time were incorporated with the Fian band.
When Manus, King of Lochlin, collected all his forces,
and the battle of the Hill of Howth was fought {Latha
catJi Beiim Eiidainii), the heroes who were prominent
for their prowess and strength were Oscar, the son of
Ossian, grandson of Fionn himself, and incomparably
the most powerful man of the party ; Goll, leader of the
Clanna Morna ; Ceutach, leader of the Colla men ;
Dermid, nephew of Fionn, and the only son of his
twin sister, whose story is widely spread, and known
from his having fled with his uncle's wife, and his having
slain the wild boar that Grey Eyebrows had in her pos-
session of pigs :
"The old grey wild boar, that was ever working mischief,
That Grey Eyebrows had in her possession of pigs."
" Sean tore Hath bha riabh ri olc,
Aig Mala Liath air sealbh mhuc."
Among their poets we hear of FergJius Fillidh (Fergus
Poet), chief spokesman and ambassador of the warlike
band, and whose designation still survives in, and perhaps
was derived from, the common word fillidJi, a poet.
Others whose names occur are MacRedhinn, who gives
his name to the sound that separates Skye from the main-
land. When the Feinne were hunting in the Isle of Skye,
and observed a dark-coloured, low-lying smoke from the
dwelling in which they had left their wives, they hurriedly
swung themselves on their spears across to the mainland,
and came to Brugh Farala, which they found, with all its
The Fenian Hej^oes. 13
inmates, consumed by fire to ashes ; MacRedhinn fell
into the sound, which now bears his name, Kyle Rca
{Caol Redhmn).
" Every man swung himself by his spear-head point,
And they left MacRedhinn in the sound."
" Leum gach fear air barr ceann sleagha,
'S dh' fhag iad MacRedhinn sa Chaol."
Garry (Garai), whose watchfulness had detected the
manner in which the women kept themselves in good
condition, when hunger and the loss of the chase had
made the men themselves become feeble and spare, and
who was the cause of Brugh Farala's being burnt, was
discovered, caught, and executed. His death being at
his own request, he chose to have his head cut off by
Mac-a-Luin, Fionn's sword, \\hile his head rested upon
Fionn's thigh. As the redoubtable sword at one blow
could cut clean through every obstacle put before it, and
never required a second blow, Fionn's thigh was carefully
guarded by seven divots of lea ground full of coarse
fibre, and the sword not only cut off Garry's head, but
pierced Fionn himself, till blood spouted from the wound.
" More numerous than the dewdrops on the grass
Were the ends of arteries cut on Fionn's thigh."
" Bu lionmhoir na driuchd air feur
Ceann enisle gearrte an sleasaid Fhinn."
During their season of activity, and in the prime of
their strength, the band seems not only to have engaged
in conflicts and in the chase, and listened to the songs of
bards, but also to have engaged in agricultural pursuits.
It was when so employed that the Norsemen came upon
them in the Very or True Hollow of Tiree {Fior
Lagan Thiridhe), which is said to have been in the
district now called Kilmoluag.
The derivation of the word Feinne, the Fian host, is
14 The Fians.
uncertain ; it is a collective noun, and though those of
whom popular tradition makes most mention were those
under the leadership of Fin MacCoul, a similar band
seems to have existed in the days of Coul {Ctunhal),
his father, and to have been driven to take refuge in
caves and other places, when disbanded by an opposing
force. That their enemies were the Northmen does not
seem a tenable supposition. That in very early times
there was intercourse between the Celts of Ireland and
the Lochlinners, or people of the far east, is a creed
tenable enough, but many of the best stories on the
subject have an air of post-Ossianic times.
Of places in the Highlands which have names derived
from the heroes of the Fians are to be mentioned Loch
Oscair, in a small islet near Lismore. Dermid is said
to have slain the wild boar in several places. The pin-
fold of Dermid {Buaile DJiiarmaid), where Grey-Eye-
brows had her pigs, is said to be in Scorr, near Portree,
Skye; and Dermid's cave {UainiJi DJiiarmaid) is said to
be the Big Cave [Uaiinh mJibr) in Kenavara hill, Tiree,
facing the Atlantic.
Brugh Caorainn is said to be in Braes, in the parish of
Portree, Skye and Brugh Dhubhain in Glendale, in the
same island. The big stones on which their kettle
icoire) rested, four or five in number, are still seen
between the manse of Kensilair and Scoirinish, and
Ossian is said to "sleep in his narrow glen" in more than
one locality. In the poem of the "Owl" {Comhachag
hhochd na Sroine), which is said to have been composed
near Loch Treig, in Lochaber, the bard mentions as
places within view from where he was sitting, Srath
Ossian nam Fian (the strath of Ossian of the Fin-
galians); and popular tradition associates the Fians with
almost every wonderful natural feature. The cave in
Staffa is Uaimh Fhinn, or Fingal's Cave ; and the parallel
roads of Glenroy are known as the Roads o{ the Ossianic
The Fenian Heroes. 15
Heroes {Rat/iaidemi nam Finn). There is in Kilmuir, in
Skye, a trap dyke, or seeming wall, that runs up an
almost perpendicular incline, called the Wall of the
Fians {GaradJi na Fcinne), and in more than one hill in
Skye, from which magnificent views are to be got, there
are places called the Chair of Fionn ; but it is a question
among the common people whether the name means a
sitting-place in the hill {Cathair 'sa bJieinn) (the Chair
in the Hill), or the sitting-place of Fionn {Cathair suid/ie
Fhinit). In Beinn ladain, in Morven, there are steps
in the rock near the summit popularly known as
Ceiinianan Fhinn, or Fingal's Steps.
I.— FIONN MAC CUMHAIL.
FlONN MacCoul, or, as he is better known since the
appearance of Macpherson's works, Fingal, the son of
Cumhal, was a posthumous son. Cumhal {Cwnhail), the
father, was an Irish chief of high estate, and was driven
from his seat by the quarrels in which the chiefs of that
time seem to have been engaged. In the heat of battle
he (Cumhal) entered the house of the Ulster smith and
asked for a drink of water. The smith's daughter was
the only one in, and she gave him the drink if he him-
self could take it out of the only vessel she had at hand.
This vessel had seven or nine crevices or pipes {feadahi),
which had to be kept closed with the fingers, and
the question was warmly debated at one time, among
reciters of these tales, whether it was not a kind of reed
or pipe through which a person had to draw the water,
the hole of the pipe which was in the mouth forming
one of the orifices of the vessel which had to be kept
closed. While he was taking a drink the water spouted
out through one of the holes, and the smith's daughter
began to laugh. He threw the dish from him. On
returning to battle, while lying wounded and under foot,
he was slain by Black Arky, the fisherman {Arcai Diibh
lasgair), who came and offered, for an exchange of
swords, to carry him to a safe place. When he got
Cumhal's sword he thrust it in from behind and killed
him with his own weapon. A report had spread abroad
{bha e san tairgreackd) that a son of Cumhal would
avenge his death, and regain the superiority that had
been lost by the death of Cumhal himself The enemy,
having heard of this, sent people to watch, so that, as
under Herod Agrippa^s decree, every male child born
within the boundaries of the estate for the next nine
The Story of Fionn. 1 7
months was slain. In the words of the reciters of these
tales, the daughter of the Ulster smith became " heavy
and fruitful, spotted and speckled, what did not increase
in the day grew at night {dli f/ias i trovi torach breac
ballach, na nach (f fhas san latJia dJi fJias e san oidhc/ie),
and at last she drew near her confinement." A sistei^ of
Cumhal, named Speedy Foot {Los Liirganii), succeeded
in introducing herself among the watchers ; some say
that she killed the midwife and took her place. The
first-born was a male child, and Speedy Foot put a lump
of fat {gaiwie saille) in his mouth, which kept it from
crying out, then tied it to his big toe {prdag a choise),
so that if the lump she tied should at any time be so
drawn as to interfere with his breath, the spasm of the
child to withdraw the obstruction would make him kick,
and so remove it. In this way the cries of the child were
hushed and all obstacles to its safety were removed.
A female child was then born, and she. Speedy
Foot, found a way of removing the first-born out
of the way, and taking him to her brother, the
joiner-smith {gobhan saor), the best smith that e\e-
lived. His dwelling was in the Ulster wood. She asked
him to make a house for her in one of the trees, on
which, when the house was finished, no stroke of adze
or axe {buillc tJiail no tJiuaidJi) was to be seen, so that no
one could tell there was a house there. He made the
house, and having carefully looked over the whole
appearance of the tree, she asked him if anyone could
make out now if there was a house there. He made one
or two additions to the construction in the tree, and said
that no one now could make out that there was a house
there, " If," said Speedy Foot, "there is no one that
knows my secret but yourself, there will be no one," and
she scraped his head off {Mur 'eil fear riim orm ach
thiisa cha bJii nds fhaide, agus sgriob i dhctli an ceann).
In this house she continued to live with her infant
charge till he grew to be a good stripling, and taught
1 8 The Fians.
him feats of swimming, leaping, and running. The way
in which she taught him running was by giving a switch
of hawthorn {squab dreaghain), with which to run after
her round a tree. She herself had a similar bunch of
hawthorn in her own hands. With these they chased
each other round the tree, and when she overtook
the boy she belaboured him behind the feet with
her bunch of briers, until at last he could run round
the tree so fast that he belaboured her with his own
branch, and he did not leave a particle of flesh and
blood {ribe /nil no fcola) on her legs with his broom of
thorn, while she could never overtake him. She then
taught him to leap by digging a hole in the ground,
which was gradually getting deeper, till at last he could
spring up a wall from a hole which reached to his
breast. She taught him swimming by throwing him in
the water, until he could at last swim over nine waves
and be ashore before herself All that was now wanted
was a suitable name for him, and she went with him to
a lake where the children of those who had been the
enemies of his father were disporting themselves, their
parents looking on. Speedy Foot told him to go out
and avenge his father's death. He did so, and every
child that he fell in with he put under water and kept
there, till at last he was observed by those ashore, who
cried out, "Who is the Fair White one that is ever drown-
ing the children ?" (" Co Fionn Ban tJia sior bhathadh
nam mac?'') "May you enjoy your name," said Speedy
Foot ; " your name from this time will be Fionn (Fair)".
In this way the son of Cumhal iCumhair) received his
name. She then took him on her back and fled with
him to the Ulster wood. Getting tired, she let Fionn to
the ground, and he, taking her by the shanks, placed
her on the back of his neck and took her through the
woods, heedless of her outcry and mindless of anything
but escape from the pursuers. When he got out of the
The Story of Fionn. 19
wood there was a lake in front of him, and he had
nothing left of Speedy Foot but the shanks {an da
lurgami) ; these he threw out on the loch, which derives
its name from the occurrence — Loch Lurgan.
Another account of this latter incident is : The Clanna
Molum and their children were now in the place where her
young charge ought to be, and on a Sunday she went and
found the children bathing in front of the palace and the
old people looking on. By her advice the child went out,
and catching a child of the Clanna Molum in each hand,
dived, and drowned them. The Clanna Molum then said :
" Co am Fionn ban tha sior bhdthadh nam mac P" Los
Lnrgann leapt forward, and said : " S'e sin a th' ami Fionn
MacCiimhail ic LiitJiaich 'ic 1 Jircin 'ic Fhinn ic Aij^t, 'ic
ard bgrigh Elrinn" (He is Fionn, the son of Cumhal, son
of Looach, son of Trein, son of Finn, son of Art (Arthur),
son of the young high King of Erin). She then hastily
took up Fionn, who had now got a name, and ran with
him through the wood till she was tired. Fionn then
caught her by the ankles {caol na coise), and throwing
her across his neck, ran so fast that he did not observe
his heavy burden becoming lighter. When he got out
of the wood he had only the shins {cnaimJi an da
lnrgann). He threw them out on the loch, called Loch
Lurgan to this day. He was now friendless, without a
home or any place to go to. He went to a river near
at hand, and falling in with a fisherman, he asked him
to make a cast for his luck {air a shealbhaich-san). .The
fisherman did so, but the fish that was caught was so
good that he kept it to himself Fionn then asked him to
make another cast for him, and this time also the fish
(salmon) proved so good that the covetous fisherman
told him he must prepare the fish on the other side of
the river, and allow no spot to be burnt or blister to rise
upon it. Fionn saw a piece of the fish-skin rising. He
put his hand upon it to press it back into its proper
20 The Fians.
place, and in doing so he burnt himself, and put his
finger in his mouth. This made him acquainted with
his wisdom tooth {deud fios), which is so frequently
mentioned in popular lore. This tooth, when pressed
by his finger, gave him knowledge that made him a
solver of questions. On this occasion he acquired the
knowledge that Dark Arky (A^^cai DubJi lasgair') was
the one who had slain his father ; and when Arky came
to where he was, he asked him what was the death
of Cumhal. Black Arky told him : " He roared like a
yearling calf, and broke wind like a gelding when my
spear went slanting through his back" (" Ciod bu bhas do
ChiiniJiail ?'' '^Raoiccadk e mar gJiamJmin 's . . . c mar
gliearran ^s mo shleagh siar troiiiih fJieauian").
A fuller account is : Fionn then went home, and hunger
was tormenting and pinching him severely {ga gJiualadh
's ^ga gJireadadJi). He came where Black Arky (Arcai
dubh lasgair^ was fishing on a rock, and asked him to
make a cast for his benefit {air mo sJiealbJiaicJi). He did
so, and caught a salmon {bradan), which is a royal fish
{iasg rtgh), and refused to give it up. This occurred
three times. % The fourth fish was given to Fionn, but
Arcai told him that, when roasting it, if he allowed a
spot to rise upon it his head woulci be made a foot and
shinty ball of {ma tJiig ball loisgte air 'se do cheann is ball
cois is iomanacJid dhomli). Fionn kindled a fire, and as
he roasted the salmon a spot {balldomi) began to rise on
the fish. He was hungry, and he put his finger on the
spot to keep it under, burnt himself, and put his finger
in his mouth. He then found out how Black Arky
killed his father, and said, " That is just the death I am
going to give you" Q'Siji direacJi am bas bJieir mise
dhititsd"), and taking Arky's fishing-rod, broke it against
his knee ; with this piece of the rod he knocked down
Arky, and then killed him. Being free to shift for
himself by means of the knowledge to be gained through
The St 07 J of Fionu. 21
his wisdom tooth, he learned that his mother was the
ugliest w^oman in all Ireland {an boiriotmach bu
ghranmia bhan Eirimi). He wandered away, and
before long came to the house of the Ulster smith.
Being in need of a sword to make his way in the world,
his mother, the smith's daughter, who came to recognise
him, and to whom he told his troubles, said that her
father would make a sword for him of so fine a temper
that it never would require a second blow. This was
the celebrated sword of Fionn, the son of Cumhaill, that
never left a remnant from its blow {Mac-cui-Luinn nach
iVfhag riabh fuiglical beuui). She warned him to be
careful not to enter the smithy, where her father was to
be at work upon the sword. The material he was to use
would be iron and coals from a place that was not good
{ie glial 's le iaruiim a aite nacJi robli Jiiat/i), and the
sword was to be tempered in the blood of the first living
creature that entered the smithy, the blood of man,
woman, or dog (fuil ink, nina, na niadaidli). When
the sword was nearly finished, Fionn's mother, by a
slight opening of the door, managed to get a dog to
enter the smithy, and in a while Fionn himself entered
and got the renowned sword.
Another account is : By putting his finger under
his knowledge tooth {inJiear fo dkeud-fios), of which
he now learned the virtue, he became aware that
the ugliest woman in Ireland was his mother. He
went to the house of the Ulster smith, and when
his mother saw him, she said, a third of her hearing
was now come back to her. She advised him to
hire himself to the smith, who was swordmaker to
the Clanna Molum, and kept a roomful of swords, and
to take no payment but a sword {air am bi Mac-A-Luin
mar aiiim, nacJifdg fiiigheall beiim, tJiig a glial 's a iariinn
a aite nach 'eilmath g'a d/ieauadh). The night he made
this sword the smith shut himself up in the smithy.
-«•
2 2 The Fians.
saying that if he returned he would thrust {adhartaicJt)
the sword into whatever first entered the smithy in the
morning. The door was agape {hraoisg) in the morning,
and Fionn, by his mother's advice, threw in a little
dog iineasait), into which the smith thrust the sword.
Having got this prized weapon, he went in search of
his father's men. He found them driven to take refuge
in caves by the shore, and the news of Cumhal's son
having appeared spread like wildfire. From cave to
cave the word passed, " What was foretold has come
true" (" Thainig anifdthfior, tJiamig anifdthfior"). The
men were all overgrown with hair and beard, and, if all
tales are true, Fionn shaved them and dressed them
with the sword, JMac-a-Liiin. Or, as another account
says : Fionn went for service to the Clanna Molum ; his
mother gave him a bag of apples and three pins ideilg).
When he entered the palace they said to him, " Biatachd
abhul, oganaich, b'dill leinn fhaotidiin uaif ("Food of
apples, youth, we would fain get from you"). He had left
the bag at the door, and told them to bring it in them-
selves and take their pleasure {taitneachd). One after the
other of the Clanna Molum went out, and not one could
move the bag {cha cJmireadh iad ceige ann). At last
Goll said : " Miagh uilc agiis iorghuidh oirbh nach tugadh
sibJi a stigh e, ged a bhiodJi a sJieachd iirrad fhein do
thalamJi 'slaodadh ris" (" The shadow of evil and evil
wishes be upon you that would not bring it in, though
seven times its own weight of earth was sticking to it").
He went out himself, broke three of his ribs, and came
in roaring {donnalaicJi). Fionn went out and took it in
on the point of a twig, and this was the first terror he
struck into Clanna Molum. Then the palace {team/iair)
took fire, and was burning at its two ends, and in the
very middle {lasadJi san da cheann 's an teis-incadJioin).
Fionn stuck his three wires {iia tri dcilg), one in the
middle and one at each end, and the fire went out.
The Story of Fionn. 23
This was the second terror. His father's men had fled
to the cave on the shore, where they Hved on shell-fish
{jnaoracJi). Fionn went for them. He found one at home
cooking for the rest, and he, when he saw Fionn, cried
out : " The prophecy has come true" (" Thainig am fdtit
fior"), and for some time no other word could be got
from him. Fionn shaved them all with Mac-a-Luin,
gathered the cows, etc., belonging to the Clanna Molum,
and killed a wether {molt). The first of the rest who
came to the cave, when he smelt the sheep instead
of samh 's aile a uiJiaoraicJi (the smell and odour of
shell-fish), called out : " The prophecy has come true"
{Thainig am fathfior). Making them take an oath on
his sword, Fionn went up with them and displaced
Clanna Molum.
Thus, when Fionn came upon his father's men in their I
poverty and solitude in the caves by the sea, his first -
action in obtaining superiority over them and evincing
that " he was a worthy son of a worthy father", was by 1
bringing a bag of apples which he left, and v\hich by en-
chantment or secret sleight could not be lifted off the
ground. One after another of the men in the cave was sent
to bring the bag in, but they could make nothing of it
cither individually or as a body. One by one they
failed to lift it from the ground. Finn (Fionn) himself
then went out, and took in the bag, suspended from his
little finger. This at once put him in the forefront, and
even made him master of the whole band.
The tale is also told as follows : — Cumhal was
driven by the Lochlinners to a castle in a loch in
Ireland. He had long arms {bJia gaoirdeanan fada
aige), and no one could overcome him while under
armour. The Lochlin men planned to send a beautiful
woman to a grassy islet {eilein feoir) in sight of the
castle. She was to walk where Cumhal would see her, and
at last he would swim to where she was. He was then
24 The Fians.
to be killed by Black Arky, the fisherman {Arcaidhdub/i
lasgair), who was to hide himself among the grass till
he got his opportunity. This was done, and then
Lochlin obtained possession of all Ireland, and the Feinn
were driven to take refuge in a cave by the seashore,
where they were pressed with want and anxiety.
Fionn's mother was taken care of, and if her offspring
were a boy he was to be killed. When her time was
come {far a glhhie) she had first a girl, and word was
sent out to the watchers surrounding the house that such
was the case. Before long a boy was born, and Speedy
Foot {LuatJis Lnrgaiui), the sister of Cumhal, caught him
in her apron. She put an arrow-like lump of fat {gdinne
saille) in his mouth and went away with him. She was
the best jumper, the best swimmer, and the best runner
of all Ireland {Icuviadair ' s snainJiadair ' s ruitheadairna
h-Elrinn), and if she got three yards of market measure
{slat mJiargaidli) ahead no man or horse in Ireland could
overtake her.
Another version is : Los Liirgaii was Fionn's father's
sister. When Cumhal was killed, those who usurped his
place gave orders that if the child to be born to his wife
was a male child he should be slain. She had twins, a
boy and a girl. Speedy Foot {Los Liuganii) fled with
the boy, and got her half-brother (?) to cut out a board
between bark and peel {eadar cJiairt is r?)sg) to make a
house for her in a tree, and on his finishing the work, so
that no one could now find out her refuge, she said : " I
sec a fault Q'Chi mi meang") ; he bent down, and she
swept off his head to make her concealment complete.
They lived on the chase and game {sealg 's sitJiioiui).
She taught Fionn all kinds of feats of strength, till at
last he excelled herself In running she could barely
touch his heels with a thorn-brush, and he could switch
her back. She could swim over nine waves, and though
at first he could swim only over five, he at last could
The Story of Fionn. 25
swim over nine. She then thought him qualified to
avenge his father's death. They came to a loch where
a number of children were swimming. Fionn went out
among them, and every one he caught he kept his head
under water and drowned him. A woman who was
looking out at a window said : " Who is the Fair White
one who is ever drowning the children ?" (" Co Fionn ban
tha sior bhathadJi nam mac .^")
Los Lurgann said : " May you enjoy your name ; you
will be called Fionn always after this, and you were
without a name till now" ("G"?/ meall thu i-ainm 'se
Fionn bJiios art as a dJicigJi so, 's bha thu gun ainm gus a
so''). Fionn, son of Cuval, son of Looach, etc., son of the
high King of Ireland. (Fionn MacCumJiail ic LutJiaicli
ic TJirein, etc., ic Ard RigJi Eirinn). The people
gathered to attack him, and he fled. He caught his
aunt by the feet, threw her on his back, and fled through
a thick wood, never looking behind him. Feeling his
burden getting light, and looking round, he found he
had only the two legs left. He threw them out on a
loch, which ever since has borne the name of Loch
Lurgann.
Fionn went on and met the Ulster smith (An
GobJiain Ultach), who asked who he was. He said,
" A good servant in search of a master" (" Gille maith
ag iarraidh viaighstir"). He engaged himself for a
year and a day with the smith, and his wages were to
be a sword that was to fit his hand {claidhe fJireagras
ddm laimh). The smith never had one who could ply
he hammer like him. Fionn knew by his knowledge
tooth (dciid Jios) his mother was in the house and his
twin sister, for Fionn was only one of twins {leth dhuine),
and her likeness to him was often noticed, though all
were in ignorance of the relationship. At the end of
the year the smith told him to go to a pile of swords
lying in the smithy and choose one for himself Every
26 The Fians.
one he tried he shook and sent it in shivers. The smith
made a heavier one, but it went the same way. He
asked him, " Who are you, that a sword would not fit
you which would fit another person ?" " That would fit
me from mine and from coal, that would fit another
person." i^' Den dume tJiusa nacJi foglinadJi claidhcamJi
dJmit mar a dJi fJibgJinadJi do neacJi eile?" ^' Bh' f/iog-
nadh sin domJi a mein 'j a glial, mar a dJC fhbgJiiiadJi
do neach eile") " The face of your evil and your mis-
chance be on you. I wish I never saw you." The smith
said he must remain up all night to make the sword. His
mother said to Fionn, the sword was to be tempered in
the blood of a man, a woman, or dog {/nil niic, mna, no
madaidk), and that she would know when the last strokes
were being given to the sword, and he was to take
the dog, a female one, and throw it in at the smithy
door. He did this, and the smith killed the dog with
the sword. Fionn entered and got the sword {Mac-an-
Liiin) that left no remnant of its blow {Mac-an-Luin
nacli d' fhdg fnigJieal beiim), and struck off the smith's
head. When he came out and went to take leave of
his mother, she said she would not have long to live
now. Fionn said it was past that now, and went
away.
Feeling hungry, and seeing a fisherman at a river
fishing salmon, he asked him to make a cast for his
benefit {air a shealbhaich fhein). He did so, and caught
a large fish, which he refused to Fionn, but said he
would give him the next one. He caught a still bigger
one, which he also refused (some say he tried seven times,
and gave the seventh to Fionn). He promised the next,
but on its proving still larger, he told him that he was
going to have a sleep, and Fionn was to take the first
and roast it on the salmon spear {air iarumi a cJiroinn
mhordha\ and if he allowed any of the skin to rise {bolg)
he would have his head. When roasting the fish a
The Story of Fionn. 27
swelling came on a spot of the skin. Fionn put his
finger on it to press it down, and burnt his finger. He
put it in his mouth to cool, and then knew that the
fisherman was the man who had killed his father. He
went and asked him what kind of death Cual had {as
before). " That is a kind of death I cannot give to you,
but I will do worse"; and he tore him asunder.
He went in search of the Feinn, and he found them in
a cave by the sea-side, living on shell-fish, and over-
grown with hair and beard {fionnadh 's feiisag), and having
seven pins or skewers in their garment with want.
There was a prophecy among them that Cual's son
would come yet, and an old man taxed him with being
dial's son, saying that " a third part of my strength and
eyesight has come back to me", and told him to hide
himself at first, or else they would devour him with kind-
ness for very joy. {TJiainig triaii ddin Heart's dojn
shealladli air ais dJioniJi ; cuiridh mi' in falach tJni nco
itheadh iad thu le toilinntmn.) When they saw him
first, they saw him one by one. Fionn shaved them with
Mac-a-Luin, and they scoured their arms, and again took
the kingdom.
Fionn had a daughter, who, it is said, was very hand-
some. When the Norsemen landed, the Feinn were
horrified by their number, and Fionn's daughter went
and offered herself to the King of Lochlin, with a dowry
of a hundred horsemen, etc., etc., on condition of his
turning away in peace. He said it could not be done,
as his men were sworn to conquer the country, but he
would spare her and her father. She said it was not
fear, but desire of peace, made her come. In the battle,
the Feinn, for the first and only time in their history,
went one day back.
After this we do not hear much of Fionn till he
appears as leader of the whole band of heroes to whom
the name of Fians or Fingalians is given. They seem to
28 The Fians.
have followed the chase wherever venison was to be
found, both in Ireland and Scotland. The tales told of
them are both numerous and entertaining. Some tell of
deep and sad sorrow ; some refer to feats of strength
and activity, and in all of them Fionn (Finn) figures as a
man of great wisdom and sagacity. Belonging to this
part of the history of the band is the tale of how Fionn
got his wonderful dog Bran, and how he was in the
House of the Yellow Field, without leave to sit down or
power to stand up, and about his long ship, in which, as
we hear in later stories, he visited the Kingdom of Big
Men.
When the Fian bands were in full order and activity,
the companies of which the host was made up were seven,
in addition to the company of Morna {scacJid catJianan
gnatJiaicJite na Feinne 's catJi chlanna Mornd). The most
prominent of these embattled hosts was the Clanna
Baoisgne, of whom Fionn himself was one; and frequent
mention is made of the Clanna Morna, whose leader
was Goll MacMorna. Though the Clanna Morna were
at first at war with Fionn's men, and in the time of
Ciimhal were open enemies, yet by the wisdom of Fionn
they became safe and reliable friends. The Collaich
under Ceutach, the son of their former king {Ccudach
1/iac rigJi Jian CoUacli), and their history and position in
the Fian band, forms an episode by itself, and seems to
have been a subject of much talk.
II._OSCAR.
EA.CH hero had a separate story or adventure ascribed
principally or peculiarly to himself; thus, Oscar, who is
said to have derived his name from his grandfather
asking, when he fell in battle, " Is there a voice left in
him ?" {^'•BJicilan t-oscar annf), was the son of Ossian and
grandson of Fionn, the company which he commanded
being of importance, and his banner ranking next to that
of Fionn. The banner of Oscar's company was called the
Sgiiab GJiabhaidJi (the Terrific Sweep or Broom), of which
it was said, that when the news of fight came to head-
quarters there was no inquiry but as to the fate of this,
banner, the Sgiiab GabJiaidJi (the Terrible Brush or
Sheaf).
" That is no other than the Terrific Brush,
The banner of strong, heroic Oscar ;
When the fight of chosen men was reached,
The only inquiry was for the Terrible Sheaf."
" Cha 'n i sud ach an Sguab-gabhaidh,
Bratach Oscar chrodha laidir ;
Nuair a rigteadh oath nan cliar
Cha b' fhiu a fioraich ach an Sguab-gabhaidh."
{Gillies, p. 311.)
In the versions of "Lays about the Fians", it is said of it
that it never went a foot backwards, till the heavy grey
earth trembled ; but in other versions the same is said
of the banner of Goll, leader of the Clanna Morlum.
In the opinion of many, Oscar is the one heard of
in the tale of "How Goll Killed his Mother", and
with whom he disputed about the marrow-bone. Ac-
cording to some, Oscar's first name was The Bent One of
Bones {Crom nan Cnain/i). He grew big and gawky,
30 The Fians.
and no one thought he would prove so strong. He took
the marrovv-bone from Goll, and being a tall, idle lad, of
no account, for this reason, as well as out of regard for
his father's position, he was never asked to any of the
contests in which the Fian band were engaged. One
day, when they were engaged in one of these frays,
Oscar, finding himself left alone, went out to where the
combatants were, and being destitute of any other
weapon, lifted a beam, or big log of wood, and laid about
him with such good effect that the enemy was routed,
and Oscar was ever after regarded as the best hero of
the Fians {ceud lamh fheuni na Fcinne) ; and in a version
of the Greatest Strait in which the Fians ever were, it is
said of him :
" The like of Oscar, my son,
Was not to be found here or there."
" Ach samhuil d' Oscair mo mhac sa
Cha robh aca bhos na thall."
His father's cousin, Diarmid donn (the auburn-haired),
was the third best hero of the band {treas lamh fJmnn na
Feinne), and it is observable that in all the tales and
traditions, both about Oscar and Diarmid, they are men-
tioned as having lived together on terms of very kindly
relationship and fast friendship. Diarmid, as being the
older of the two, taught his cousin's son feats of arms
and skill. He taught him to play on the taileasg —
chess or backgammon.
The celebrity of this hero may be inferred from his
name being still used in the Western Islands as the first
or Christian name of a person ; thus, e.g., there was very
recently in Tiree a man who went by the name of
Tearlach Oscair, or Charles, the son of Oscar, and he
also occurs as the name of fairy lovers in tales of super-
stition. The adjective Oscara (Oscar-like) is applied to
the human voice, and denotes a strong, loud, and power-
Oscar. 3 r
ful voice. The death of Oscar is recorded in the
following hymn {Laoidh), as it is called, which was taken
down word for word from the dictation of the late
Roderick Macfadyen, Scarnish, Tiree, in October 1868,
now nearly twenty years ago. Macfadyen was then
about eighty years of age. He said he had learned
it from his father, who died when he himself was only
fifteen. He told the writer at the same time that old
men, when they repeated these Ossianic hymns, put off
their bonnets from a feeling of reverence, with which
the sensitive reader will readily sympathise. One is, as it
were, in the presence, not only of a master mind in the
poem, but also in the presence of the deepest sorrow.
The battle of Gavra was ever memorable among the
Celts both of Ireland and Scotland, and as a tale of
" Old and happy far-off things, and battles long ago",
was as much the subject of talk as any battle of modern
times is among the races whom it affects. It is said
that two men out at night sheep-stealing, or some pre-
datory occupation, had their attention drawn to two
gigantic figures on the hills on opposite sides of the glen
in which they were. One of these giant figures said to
the other, " Do you hear that man down below ? I was
the second door-post of battle at Gavra {an damn
7irsainn chatJi a b'fJicarr an Cath GabJird), and that man
knows all about it better than I do." Gavra seems to
have been somewhere in the north of Ireland, although
its exact locality, as far as the poem is concerned, is a
matter of conjecture. Oscar, suffering from a mortal
wound, could not have been carried far on spears, and the
ships of his grandfather having come in sight before his
death, Gavra could not have been far from the seaboard.
There are several names in the poem which, on com-
parison with other versions in print, call for correction,
although it has been deemed best in this case to give
the poem exactly as it was taken down. To the arch.ne-
32 The Fians.
ologist it is of importance to have the exact words of
the reciter, without suppression, or emendation or altera-
tion. Cairvi is called in other versions Cairbre ; and in
the quarrel between him and Oscar, in all the versions
as well as this one, the spears are called spears of seven
and nine seang (slimness), but the explanation which
the writer heard elsewhere, at Lochowside, leaves no
doubt that the word should be seiin (a charm). The
charms were on the spear-shaft of Oscar, and on the
spear-head of Cairbre. The usurper naturally thought
that if he got Oscar's charmed spear-shaft along with
the charmed spear-head he himself had he would be
invincible.
Putting all the materials together in a natural junction,
the story seems to run that Cairbre, a strong, powerful
man, having usurped the sovereignty of all Ireland, and
finding the Fians unsubmissive to any but their own
leaders, took what in olden times seems to have been a
too common way of bringing an enemy to subjection.
He invited their best hero to a feast, which, according
to the fashion of the times, consisted of plentiful libations
of strong drink — a rare and much prized luxury in those
days — and finding himself failing in his object, he picked
a quarrel, which led to the battle of Gavra.
There are stanzas and expressions in this poem that
point unmistakably to heathen times — the charms upon
the weapons of war, the fay woman {beansJiitJi) pre-
dicting the death of those about to be slain, the intro-
duction of the ominous raven as a sign of evil, and other
expressions, show that the poem was composed not
only in troublous times, but during the prevalence of
heathen beliefs and customs. It was pointed out by the
reciter that Oscar was the first who was buried without
his clothes. The last verse could not be explained by
him, nor is there satisfactory explanation to be found in
an)' version of the poem.
Oscar. 33
The incident of the quarrel between Oscar and Cairbre
has been worked by Macpherson into the poem of
" Temora", but a comparison of the hymn or poem with
the epic will readily enable the reader to judge who the
true poet is. The short, sharp words in this composition
are those of angry men, compared to the lengthy
speeches of the epic, and altogether there is about this
poem an air of genuineness that removes it from the
suspicions which have been urged against the genuine-
ness of the other.
The Battle of Gavra, or, Hymn of Oscar.
I will not call my music my chief (effort), (i)
Tho' Ossian were fain, (2) he could to-night,
Since Oscar and the stalwart (3) Cairvy
Have fallen in the fight at Gavra.
Word came down to us.
To hardy Oscar of the Feinne,
To go to a feast with his Fians,
And he would get tribute (4) according.
The handsome Oscar who shunned not an enemy.
******
[Three days previous to the fight, Oscar, who, in his
grandfather's absence, was leader of the Feinne, was
invited to a feast with Cairbre.]
Three hundred men of might
Went with him, attendant on his will and want.
[On the way a fairy woman met them, and Oscar said
to her :]
Weird (5) woman that washest the garments,
Make for us the self-same prophecy.
Will any one of them fall by us,
Or shall we all go to nothingness ?
3
34 TJie Fians.
There will be slain by thee, she said, nine (6) hundred,
And the King himself, be wounded to death by thee,
And the choicest man that falls on thy side
All his lifetime has come.
[They reached Cairbre's house, where three days were
spent in drinking.]
We got honour, and we got meat
As ever we got before,
To be joyfully entering in,
Along with Cairbre into his palace. (7)
The last day of the drinking
Cairbre cried with a loud voice,
" Exchange of spear-shafts, I will have from thee,
High brown-haired Oscar of Alba."
" Whatever exchange of spears you want,
Red-haired Cairbre of ship-harbours,
Often I and my spear were with thee
In time of battle and hard conflict.
" But exchange of shaft, without exchange of head.
It were unjust to ask that of me.
The cause of that request is
That I should be without Feinn or father."
" Though the Feinn and your father were
As well as ever they were in life,
I would require for myself
That what I asked, I should get."
"If the Feinn and my father were
As well as they were in life,
Scarce would you get here below
The breadth of your house of Erin."
Hatred filled the heroes full,
As they listened to the controversy ;
Oscai\ 35
Fierce words, half and half
Between Cairbre and Oscar.
Lasting words these, lasting words,
The red Cairbre would give :
" That envenomed spear in thy fist
For it shall be thy speedy death."
Other words against these
The stalwart Oscar gave,
That he would put the spear of nine enchantments
Where his beard and hair met.
Lasting words these, lasting words,
The red Cairbre would give
That he would put the spear of seven enchantments
Between his kidneys and navel.
We took with us next day
As many of the Feinn as were of us,
We took with us our host and multitude
To the north side of Erin. (8)
When we happened there
In a confined gorge, in a narrow glen,
Cairbre cried with a high voice,
" Martial sounds (9) are advancing to meet you."
There came upon us, but not for succour,
Five-score of bowmen ;
These fell there under Oscar's hands.
And disgrace (10) went to the King of Erin.
Five score of fierce Gael,
That came from a rough, inclement land.
These fell there by Oscar's hands.
And disgrace went to the King of Erin. (11)
Five score of men-at-arms.
That came from a rough land of snow,
These fell there by Oscar's hands,
And disgrace went to the King of Erin.
3 -
36 The Fians.
Five score red Cairbres(i2)
That resembled Cairbre of the people,
These fell by Oscar's hands,
And disgrace went to the King of Erin.
The five who nearest were to the King,
Whose duty was heroism and lofty deed,
These fell there by Oscar's hands,
And disgrace went to the King of Erin.
When the red Cairbre saw
Oscar ever hewing the people.
The envenomed spear (13) in his hand
He threw it to meet Oscar.
Oscar fell on his right knee,
With the envenomed spear through his body,
And gave the next throw,
To the meeting of hair and beard.
[Then the people of Cairbre said to his son :]
" Rise Art, and grasp your sword,
Stand in your father's place.
If death is not lying in wait for you.
You will be deemed to us a son of good fortune."
He gave the next throw upwards.
And to us the height seemed sufficient,
And he threw down by the correctness of his aim
Art, son of Cairbre, at the next throw.
The people of Cairbre, so firm was their struggle.
Put a helmet on a post, (14)
So that they might win the field of battle,
When they saw Oscar in sore pain.
He lifted a thin hard slate
From the earth beside the bank,
And smashed the helmet on its post —
'Twas the last deed of my noble scmi.
Oscar. 2)7
" Lift me with you now, Fians,
What you never did before ;
Take me to a clean hillock,
But take off my dress." (15)
We lifted with us the handsome Oscar,
On the tops(i6) of our lofty spears,
And we gave him gentle carriage
Till we came to the house of Fin.
We heard in the beach to the North,
Shouts of people and clang of arms,
And our heroes gave a sudden start
Before Oscar grew cold in death.
(Oscar loquitur^ —
" Evil betide thee, son of many virtues, (17)
You will lie a second time ;
These are ships of my grandfather,
And they are coming with succour to us."
We all blessed Fin ;
If we did he gave not blessing to us.
Tears of blood flovv-ed from his eyelids,
And he turned his back upon us.
{Fin loquitur^ —
" Worse, my son, were you off,
That day we were at Dun-Skaich, (18)
When geese (19) would swim upon thy breast.
It was my hand that healed thee."
( Osca r loqii itii r) —
" My healing is not by growth, (20)
Neither will it be ever done ;
The spear deep in the right hand side
Wonts not that it can be healed."
38 The Fians.
{Fin loqiiittir) —
" Worse, son, were you off,
The day we were in Dundalk,
Geese would swim upon thy breast.
It was my hand that healed thee."
{Oscar loqiiitiiJ') —
" My healing is not by growth.
Neither can it ever be done.
Since the sevenfold charmed spear
Is between my kidneys and navel."
{Fin loquitur) —
" Wretched, it was not I that fell
In the fight of sunny, scanty Gavra,
And you were east and west,
Marching before the Fians, Oscar."
{Oscar loquitur) —
" Though it were you that fell
In sunny, scanty Gavra's fight,
One sigh east or west
Would not be heard in pity for you in Oscar. (21)
" No man ever knew,
A heart of flesh was in my breast.
But a heart of the twisted antler (22)
That has been covered with steel.
" But the howling of dogs beside me,
And the wail of old heroes,
And the weeping of the crowd of women by turns,
'Tis that that pains my heart."
{Fin loquitur) —
" Beloved of my beloved, beloved of my beloved.
Child of my child, white skinned and slender,
My heart is leaping like the elk, (23)
And it is my utter sorrow, Oscar will not rise.
Oscar. 39
" The death of Oscar, that pains my heart,
The champion of Erin, great is his loss to us.
When saw I my time
One so valorous behind a sword-blade?"
Wife would not weep for her own husband.
And sister would not weep for brother,
As many of us as were round the dwelling
We all were weeping for Oscar.
'Tis I would give in very truth,
The dark raven of my unreason.
The five of us who were round the board
That the hero's wound had closed in health. (24)
Cath Gabhra, no Laoidh Oscair.
Cha 'n abair mi mo thriath (i) ri m' cheol,
Ge oil (2) le Gisian e nochd,
Oscar is an Cairbhi calma(3)
Thuiteam ann an Cath Gabhra.
Thainig fios thugainn a nuas,
Dh' ionnsuidh Oscair chruaidh na Feinne
E dhol dh' ionnsuidh fleadh le' Fhiann
'S gum faigheadh e cis (4) da reir.
An t-Oscar aluinn nach d' ob naimh^
Tri cheud fear treun
Dh' imich leis, freasdal da thoil 's da fheum.
******
A bhaobh (5) a nigheas an t-eudach,
Deansa dhuinne 'n fhaistneachd cheudna,
An tuit aon duine dhiu leinn,
No 'n d' theid sinn uile do neo-ni."
1 They then reached Cairbre's house, where the three days
were spent in drinking.
40 The Fians.
" Marbhar leats' (ars ise) caogad (6) ceud,
'S gonar leat an righ e fein,
'S a raogha nam fear a laigheas leat,
A shaoghal uile gu'n d' thainig."
Fhuair sinn onoir, 's fhuair sinn biadh,
Mar a fhuair sinn roimhe riamh,
Bhi subhach a' dol a steach
Maille ri Coirbhi an TeamhairCy).
An latha mu dheireadh de'n 61
Ghlaodh Cairbhi le guth mbr
" lomlaid sleagha (cruinn) b' aill leam uait,
Ard Oscair dhuinn na h-Alba."
" Ge be 'n iomlaid sleagha th' ort,
A Chairbhi ruaidh nan long phort,
S' trie bu leat mis' agus mo shleagh
'N am cath agus cruaidh chomhraig.
" Ach malairt croinn gun mhalairt cinn
B' eucorach sud iarraidh oirnn ;
'S e fath an iarrtuis sin,
Mise bhi gun Fheinn gun athair."
" Ged do bhiodh an Fheinn is t' athair,
Co math 's a bha iad 'sa bheatha
Cha b' uilear leamsa dhomh fhin
Gach ni dh' iarrainn gum faighinn/'
" Na'm biodh an Fheinn is m' athair,
Co math 's a bha iad 'sa bheatha,
'S gann gum faigheadh tu bhos,
Leud do thighe do dh' Eirinn."
Lion fuath na laoich Ian
Ri eisdeachd na h iomarbhaigh,
Briathran borba, leth mar leth,
Eadar an Cairbhi 's an t-Oscar.
Briathran buan sin, briathran buan,
A bheireadh an Cairbhi ruadh ;
Oscar. 41
" An t-sleagh nimhe sin ad dhbrn
'S ann uimpe bhios do luath-bhas."
Briathran eile an aghaidh sin
A bheireadh an t-Oscar calma,
Gu'n cuireadh e sleagh nan naoi seang
Ma choimeachd fhuilt agus f heusaig.
Briathran buan sin, briathran buan,
A bheireadh an Cairbhi ruadh,
Gu'n cuireadh e sleagh nan seachd seang
Eadar airnean agus imleag.
'S thugadh leinnan la'r na mhaireach,
Cho hona da 'n Fheinn 's a bha sin,
Thugadh leinn ar feachd 's ar sluagh,
Gus an taobha tuath de dh' Eirinn (8)
Nuair a tharladh sinn ann,
Am bealach cumhann an caol ghleann,
Ghlaodh Cairbhi le guth ard,
Loinnearachd (9) a' teachd' nar cbmhdhail.
Thainig oirnn 's cha b' ann gu'r cobhair,
Coig fichead do dh' fheara bogha,
Thuit sid air laimh Oscar thall,
'S chaidh masladh (10) gu righ na h-Eirinn.
Coig fichead Gaidheal garg,
Thainig a tir uamhainn ghairbh,
Thuit sid air laimh Oscar thall,
'S chaidh masladh gu righ na h-Eirinn (11)
Coig fichead de dh' fhearabh feachd
Thainig a tir ghairbh an t-sneachd,
Thuit sid air laimh Oscar thall,
'S chaidh mosgladh gu righ na h-Eirinn
Coig fichead Cairbhi ruadh (12)
Bu chosmhuil ri Cairbhi 'n t-sluaigh,
Thuit sin air laimh Oscar thall,
'S chaidh masladh gu righ na h-Eirinn
42 The Fians.
A chbigear a b' f haigse do 'n righ,
G'am bu dual gaisge agus mor ghniomh,
Thuit sid air laimh Oscair thall,
'S chaidh masladh gu righ na h-Eirinn
Nuair a chunnaic an Cairbhi ruadh
Oscar sior-shnaidheadh an t-sluaigh,
An t-sleagh nimhe (13) bha' na dhorn
Thilg e sud an comhdhail Oscair.
Thuit Oscar air a ghlun deas
'S an t-sleagh nimhe roimh chneas,
S thug e 'n ath urchair a null
Ma choimeachd fhuilt agus fheusaig
An sin thuirt sluagh Chairbhi ri Mhac :
" Eirich, Airt, is glac do chlaidheanih,
'S dean seasamh an aite t'athar,
Mur 'eil an t-eug ort a' brathadh,
Measar dhuinne gur mac rath thu."
Thug e 'n ath urchair an aird
'S ar leinne gum bu leoir a h-aird,
'S leagadh leis aig meud a chuims'
Art Mac Chairbhi air an ath urchair.
Sluagh Chairbhi bu gharg gleachd,
Chuir iad Cath Gabhra (14) mu cheap;
Chum 's gum faighteadh leo buaidh larach,
Air faicinn Oscar gu craiteach.
Thog e leacag thana chruaidh
Thar na talmhainn, taobh a' bhruthaich,
'S bhriste Cath- Gabhra mu cheap ;
'S e gniomh mu dheireadh mo dheagh mhic
"Togaibh leibh mi nise, Fhiann,
Ni nach d' rinn sibh roimhe riamh,
Thugaibh mi gu tulaich ghlain,
Ach gum buin sibh dhiom an t-eudach'' (15)
Oscar. 43
Thog sin leinn an t-Oscar aluinn
Air bharraibh (i6) nan sleagha arda,
'S thug sinn da ioniraciiadh grinn,
Gus an d' thainig sinn tigh Fhinn
Chuala sinn air traigh mu thuath,
Eubhach sluaigh is faobhar arm,
'S chlisg air gaisgich gu luath,
Mu'n robh Oscar a' fas marbh.
" Marbhaisg ort, a mhic nam buadh, (17)
Ni thu breag an darna uair,
Loingeas mo sheanar a t' ann,
Is iad a' teachd le cobhair thugainn."
Bheannaich sinn uile do dh' Fhionn
Ma bheannaich, cha do bheannaich dhuinn ;
Shil na debir f hala o rosg,
'S thionndaidh e ruinn a chulaobh
" Is miosa, mhic, a bha thu dheth
An latha sin bha sinn 'n Dun-sgathaich, (18)
Nuair shnamhadh na gebidh (19) air do chneas,
'S e mo lamh-sa rinn do leigheas."
" Mo leigheas cha 'n ann le fas, (20)
'S ni mo nitear e gu brath,
'N t-sleagh dhomhain 's an taobh a deas
Cha dual gu'n deantar a leigheas."
" Is miosa, mhic, a bha thu dheth
An la bha sinn an Dundealgain,
Shnamhadh na gebidh air do chneas
'S i mo lamh-sa rinn do leigheas."
" Mo leigheas cha'n ann le fas
'S ni mb nitear e gu brath,
O na tha sleagh nan seachd seang,
Eadar m' airnean agus m' imleag."
" 'S truagh nach mise a thuit ann
An cath Gabhra grianach gann.
44 The Fians.
'S tusa bhi 'n ear 's an iar,
'G imeachd roimh na Fianntai, Oscair."
" Ged bu tusa thuiteadh ann
An cath Gabhra grianach gann,
Aon osna 'n ear no 'n iar
Cha chluinnteadh', gad iargain aig Oscar. {21)
" Cha d' f hiosraich duine riamh
Cridhe febla bhi am chliabh,
Ach cridhe de chuinn a chuir (22)
'N deis a chomdachadh le staihnn.
" Ach donnalaich nan con ri m' thaobh.
Agus buireadh nan seann laoch,
'S gul a' bhannail mu seach,
Sid an rud a chraidh mo chridhe."
" Laogh mo laoigh thu, laogh mo laoigh,
Leanabh mo leinibh, ghil, chaoil,
Mo chridhe leumadh mar Ion (23)
'S mo chreach leir nach eirich Oscar.
*' Bas Oscair a chraidh mi 'm chridhe,
Treun fear Eirinn, 's mor g'ar dith,
C' aite am faca mi ri m' Unn
Aon cho cruaidh riut air chial loinn."
Cha chaoineadh bean a fear fhein,
'S cha chaoineadh piuthar a brathair —
Na bha sin uile mu 'n teach
Bha sinn uile caoineadh Oscair.
Mise bheireadh seachad fhein
Fitheach dubh mo mhi-cheill
A chbig tha sinn mu'n chlar
Ach siail fir a bhi' ga shocadh. (24)
Oscar. 45
Notes.
(i) T7-iath (chief) means the poet's best effort or masterpiece.
In his effort the poet has marvellously succeeded, but, on com-
parison with other ballads or poems ascribed to him, there is
evidence of a higher and more far-reaching stretch of the poetic
mind. These evidences, few in number as they are, fortunately,
are out of reach of the spuriousness ascribed to the works pub-
lished by " Macpherson".
(2) Oil. It is a matter of discussion what oil means. In this
recitation there is no doubt as to the meaning being the same as
Ged bu tJioil le, although " It is the will of the poet", but in the
common conventional expression, Ge b' oil lent (in spite of you),
it is doubtful but that there is a verb oil which might convey a
meaning directly opposite. Very possibly it conveys an idea
that the will of the person addressed is of no consequence as to
the result.
(3) Calma implies the confidence of superior strength, and it is
noticeable that strong people are not usually so fiery and cross-
grained as weaker people.
(4) C/jT, tribute. The Fians, as already pointed out, were not
tributary to any king of Ireland, and the usurper, when he brought
the whole country under one sway, naturally sought the friendship
of these warriors. They must have been a powerful band when
three hundred brave men were detached as bodyguard of their
leader's grandson.
As to the stanzas which are here awanting, it was endeavoured
by the writer to supply the failure of the reciter's memory by
quoting to him from other copies of the poem in preservation in
Campbell of Islay's book of the Fians, but unsuccessfully. The
utmost that could be got from him was, that such expressions
might have been, but he did not remember them.
(5) Baobh, an evil woman, hence a common name applied to
witches. GJieibh bao'' giiidhc ach cJia ii-fhaigh Ji-anain trocair, an ill
woman gets her wish, but her soul gets no mercy. The word here
does not imply more than that the woman was not of mortal race.
From the poem it cannot be inferred that there is any island or
special place for the souls of the departed, as is commonly asserted
to have been the old pre-Christian faith. The poet's view is
entirely confined to the present visible world, as it is also in the
Mosaic teachings.
46 The Fians.
(6) Caogad. This word is not in common use, though it fre-
quently occurs in Ossianic ballads. Nine is given as its most
probable meaning. Nine as the multiple or cube of three is a
mystic number, and occurs frequently.
(7) Tea7)ihair denotes the place better known in modern times
as " Tara's Halls". Its locality is not definitely fixed ; all that
can be safely inferred is, that it was the abode of the high king of
Ireland {Ardtigh Eirimi). "Where once the Harp of Erin the
soul of music shed."
(8) At this stage the words occur in other poems connected
with this battle : " Bha sifiti ajt oidhche sin gitn chobhair thall sa
bhfls aig taobh na h-amhuijin^'' (We were that night without
succour on this and that side of the river). The river denoted is
perhaps the Bann, where probably also Finn MacCovval, when a
stripling, killed Arcaidh diibh iasgair (dark Arci the fisher) who
had slain his father, Cumhail.
(9) Loinnearachd, martial music and the tramp of armed men.
(10) Masladh. It was a matter of doubt to the reciter, as it has
been to every commentator, whether the word should be masladh
(disgrace), or mosgladh (warning). Either is suitable.
(11) Here occurs in other versions, " Mungan MacSeirc a bha
san Rbitnhe chomhraigeadh e ciad claidheainh glas.^'' The intro-
duction of this champion, though the slaying of him is creditable
to Oscar, is inadmissible as part of the original poem ; it savours
too much of the Middle Ages.
It was a common saying, in all old tales {sgeitlachdati)^ that a
redoubtable warrior had " The combat of a hundred men on his
hands". In the north-west islands, Doinhal Mac Iain ic Shettmais^
who fought the battle of Carinish in Uist, is the last who is said
to have had the combat of a hundred men on his hand {comhrag
ceud).
(12) Coig fichead Caij'bhi riiadh. The men were called Cairvi
by the reciter, and were probably men resembling the king in
personal appearance and dress, kept for the purpose of misleading
the enemy in the heat of the conflict. A ruse of the same kind is
alluded to in Shakespeare, in Henry IV, Act v, Scene 3, at the
battle of Shrewsbury —
" Douglas — And I do lament thee in the battle thus.
Because some tell me that thou art a king.
Blunt — They tell thee true."
(13) 7V/;///^^ means deadly piercing, or death inflicting. There
is no evidence that the Celtic tribes used poisoned weapons.
Oscar. 47
(14) Cath Gabhra. A helmet (?). The reciter had here Cath
Gabhra (the battle of Gavra), which he explained as being *' The
king's dress", but did not know why it was so called. The word
is probably Cathbhay-r, given in Lhuyd's Dictionary in his
Arch(Eologia as a helmet, quoting it from Plunket, one of the
oldest Irish Glossaries. It is easily resolvable into Cath-bharr, a
war head-piece. Ceap means a block, a pillar, or post, shoe-
maker's last, round which or upon which anything is placed.
(15) Eudach, clothes. Some say this was a shirt of chain-mail
[eididh cruadhach), but the reciter said, probably with more cor-
rectness, that the whole of Oscar's dress was stripped off previous
to his burial. This also more agrees with the fay woman having
been seen washing his clothes, the sight of which, previous to that
vision, not having been an omen of evil. " Gtis an d thainig an
diugh an aoibh sin cha b' olca tionalT
(16) Air bharraibh here evidently means on crossed spears, not
as barr commonly means, on the points.
(17) Mhic nam bieadh, gifted one. The saying is probably
that of Oscar, on word being brought to him that sounds were
heard on the beach. He thought they might be part of the
deceitful plans laid by Cairbre for the destruction of the Fians.
(18) Diinsgdi/iaich is said to be in Sleat in Skye, and that it
was there that CuchuUin left Conlaoch his son, whom he after-
wards killed, in ignorance of his identity. The poems referring to
it have the appearance of being ante-Ossianic. Dicndealgain is
given in Lhuyd's Archceologia as Dundalk in Ireland.
(19) Geoidh. Geese swimming on the breast of the wounded
hero means excessive loss of blood. In other versions, notably
that in Gillies' collection, the phrase occurs (cranes would swim
on thy breast) \Sh71ambadh na corran roimh d'' c/ineas], denoting a
gaping wound. Curra or corra, a heron, or ungainly bird, is also
employed to denote birds in the same sense in which it occurs
in jail-bird {Corracha margaidh), i.e., market herons, birds or
people who haunt markets or places where they are likely to find
employment, though that employment may not be of much
responsibility or pay. It is the word used in the Gaelic Scriptures
to denote the " Fellows of the baser sort", whom the Jews at
Thessalonica stirred up to annoy the Apostles. It is also said to
denote children born in adultery, who, in all probability, have no
one to look after them. Aithris an darna curra air a churra eile
is an expression meaning the reproach of one worthless woman of
another, much the same as Aithris bradaig air breugaig., i.e.., the
thief's reproach of the liar.
48 The Fians.
(20) Fd,s. It is not quite clear what this expression means,
whether it is le fas (by gradual growth), z>., healing, or ri fas (it
is not destined to heal).
(21) Gad iargain aig Oscar. It was said by the reciter that
this expression was to lessen the grandfather's grief by a pretended
indifference on the part of the dying hero.
(22) Chuitm a chiiir. The reciter did not know the meaning of
this expression, but explained it as ungadh gJilain (clean anoint-
ing). It is quite a rational explanation that it is Ctiibh?ie-clndr, a
twisted antler, than which not even a stone is more unfeeling. If
covered with iron, as in the text, nothing more incapable of
emotion can be conceived.
(23) Lo7i was another word the reciter did not know the meaning
of. He thought that in this case its common meaning was
excessive love or desire or appetite, and meant that " Fin" had an
overpowering love for his grandchild. It is a common Gaelic
expression {Co liiath ris na luin) [as swift as deer], and the
expression likely means that the speaker's heart was beating
swiftly or violently. Some say that hiin is a form of lothahi, a
leash of deerhounds, but in this case more probably it denotes
some kind of deer, perhaps an elk or some other animal of the
deer kind.
(24) The translation here given is but guess-work. The main
objection to it is that the gloom of sorrow and unreason are not
in Gaelic represented by the blackness of the raven. The know-
ledge with which that bird is credited {Flos Jithich) is not that
of the " shadow of coming events", but the almost instinctive
knowledge that the bird has of prey or carrion {Fios fithich gu
roic), upon which it feeds with more relish than on prey that has
been killed. There is no instance within the range of Gaelic
literature, so far as the writer knows, in which the bird is credited
with a knowledge of future events. Coigead in this stanza is not
a word in conventional use. Coig is the common numeral five,
and following the analogy oi Jichead, triochad, which is given in
Lhuyd's Archceologia., as meaning thirty, it may mean fifty, but
the indication is not certain. Socadh is the word used when
wood, which has shrunk through dryness, is put again in water
and becomes tight ; thus, when a boat which has been long
exposed on the beach is again launched, and the water has had
due effect upon it, the wood recovers itself and the boat is said to
be seasoned [air a socadh.) Chldr may mean bier.
III.— GOLL,
Who was the leader of the Clanna Morna, seems to
have ranked as the second best hero of the Fian band.
The name given to him in the lays is Goll of Blows
{Goll na Beunianari), very probably derived from his
skill as an expert and powerful swordsman. It is said
of him that he never fell in the combats of men {an
comJirag dhaoine), and that he was squint-eyed, whence
his name {Gol-shuil), which is said to be contracted into
Goll. He had the ch-cJimhnJi, or right to the marrow-
bones. Goll is mentioned in the " Lay of the Banners"
{Duan nam Braiaichean) and also in the " Lay of Conn,
Son of the Red" {Conn Mac an Deirg).
Goll's great stature is noticed by Dunbar in one of his
poems, in which he calls him
" My fader meikle Gow MacMorna,
Out of his moderis wame was scheme :
For littleness was so forlorn,
Siccan a kemp to beir."
It is noticeable how this hero, so powerful in after life,
was so small and dwarfish at birth. Of his mother it is
said, that when she grew old she lost her teeth, and her
son claimed marrow-bones for her benefit. This is told
in the following story :
"Thanks to Goll, He Killed his Mother."
The growing lad who opposed him in the story, is
called Coireal of Bone {Coireal o Cnhmth), but, from his
strength and youth, the probability is that the one de-
noted by the story is Oscar, and one good oral authority
4
50 The Mans.
on tales of this kind said it was Oscar. Coireal is not
mentioned in any other tale known to the writer. The
story is given as it came to hand.
Coireal was the son of a daughter of Fionn, and when
he was a soft growing lad he bade fair to be the strongest
and most powerful of the Fian band. Goll's mother was
aged, and had lost her teeth, and the biggest bones were
kept for her, and she lived on the marrow. Coireal was
mortified that he had to give every bone that had marrow
in it to the old woman. One day he got a large bone
which he refused to give up. Fionn was afraid to offend
Goll, and his judgment was, that a hole should be made
in a plank of wood and the bone set in it, that Goll
should pull the one end and Coireal the other ; whoever
drew the bone through the hole would have the right to
it. This was done, and it was likely that Coireal would
have the bone. He pulled Goll's hand to the mouth of
the hole. Fionn then said that the bone must be turned,
and the thick end given to Goll. They did so, and at
long last Goll took with him the bone. He drew the
bone and threw it at Coireal in order to kill him dead
Coireal saw it coming, and bent his head out of the way.
The bone struck the old woman and killed her. " Thanks
to Goll", said Coireal, " he has killed his mother." Hence
the proverb, " TapadJi le Goll, niharbli e jnhathair."
y Is e mac nighean Fhinn a bha ann an Coireal, 'se b' ainm
dha Coireal o cnaimh 's nuair bha e 'na bhogbhalach bha
choltas air gur h-e duine bu laidire 's a b' fhoghaintich' a bhiodh
san Fheinn. Bha mathair Ghuill scan, agus air call a fiaclan,
agus bha na cnaimhean bu mhotha air an cumail air a son, agus
bha i tighinn beo air an smior. Bha Coireal air a ghualadh
gum feumadh e h-uile cnaimh sam biodh smior thoirt do 'n
chaillich.
Latha bha sin fliuair e cnaimh mbr agus dhiult e thoirt
seachad. Bha eagal air Fionn corruich a chiir air Goll, agus
'se bhreth thug e, gum biodh toll air a chur ann an deile fiodh.
Goll. 51
agus an cnaimh air a chur ann agus gu 'n slaodadh Goll an
darna ceann, agus Coireal an ceann eile, agus co sam dhiu
bheireadh an cnaimh a mach roimh 'n toll, gum biodh an
cnaimh leis.
Rinneadh so, 's bha choltas gum bitheadh an cnaimh aig
Coireal ; thug e lamhan Ghuill gu bial an tuill, Thuirt Fionn
an so, gum feumadh an cnaimh a thiunndadh agus an ceann
garbh thoirt do GhoU. Rinneadh so 's mu dheire thall thug
Goll leis an cnaimh. Thug e 'n tarruing ad air a chnaimh,
agus thilg e air Coireal e, los a spadadh. Chunnaic Coireal e
tighinn, 's chrom e cheann as an rathad. Bhuail an cnaimh a'
chailleach, agus mharbh e i. " Tapadh le Goll," orsa Coireal,
" mharbh e mhathair," agus is ann uaith sin a thainig an sean-
fhocal.
IV.— DERMID.
D.earniaid\Y?iS, as already said, the only son of Fionn's
twin and only sister. He had a beauty-spot {ball scire)
on his face, and it was said that no woman ever saw it
but fell in love with him. He was himself the third best
hero of the Fians ( Treas lamJi fetiin na Fcinne), and is
spoken of as being very good-looking, and an ardent
admirer of the fair sex ; the common name given to
him is the "Yellow-haired Dermid of women" (^Dearmaid
Buidlie iiaui bari), besides being bold and courageous.
On thfe day of the battle of Gentle Streams {AniJminn
nan Sriith SeimJi) he raised his visor, and Grainne, his
uncle's wife, who was looking at the combatants, saw the
beauty-spot and fell madly in love with Dermid. In his
old age Fionn had married Grainne, daughter of the
Earl of Ulster, which then formed one of the five parts
of Ireland. " The daughter of the Earl of Ulster"
{Nighean larla cJioig Ulainn), or, as some say, " The
daughter of Corniac of Cuilin" [NigJiean Charmaig o
Chiiillin). She seems to have been a woman of small
size, and not over nice in her selection of lovers.
Dermid long continued indifferent to her allurements,
and placed her under spells {Jo gJieasaibli) that she was
not to appear before him either by night or day, clothed
or unclothed, on foot or on horseback, in company or
without company. She, however, went to a fairy woman
{bean shith), and got garments made from mountain down
{CanacJi an t-slcibh). She came with this garment on,
riding on a he-goat in the dusk of the evening, when it
was neither light nor dark, and thus it could not be said
that she was clothed or unclothed, on foot or on horse-
back, in company or without company, and consequently
DeriJiid. 53
was deemed free from the spell laid upon her. Her
attentions at last came to be a persecution, and Dermid
consulted his uncle, the solver of questions [Fiojm fear
fuasgladh chezsi), that he might know what to do. The
question which he put to Finn was, "Is it best to bear
reproach, or decay?" {Co dhiu 's fkearr guth na meathf)
Fionn's answer was, " Do not decay while you live, my
sister's son" {Na ineaih 's tu beo mhic mo pJieatJiar).
Some time after this Dermid went off with Grainne,
but where he passed the night he left unbroken bread to
show that he was still blameless. It was while on this
flight, with the Feinne after them, that the incident
occurred of Dermid's being up a tree, when Oscar and
Conn or Goll were down below playing at taileasg (see
note). When Oscar was likely to win, some say through
Dermid dropping a berry on the spot on which he was
to play, his opponent said, " The faithful teaching of
Dermid causes Oscar's ready play" {Teagasg dJiileas
DJnaruiaid, rinn clidcJi ealamh Oscair). Oscar replied,
" Though you don't like that man, we loved him well"
{Ged nacJi toil leatsa an didjie sin bit toil leinne e).
Dermid after this fled to a cave in the hills. Locally, a
cave in Kenavarra Hill, in the west end of Tiree, is said
to have been the cave in question. This, however, may
be merely the tendency of every place to localise
tradition. It is said that, when climbing the hill, a voice
called to him, " Dermid, take the hill slantwise" {Dhear-
maidfiar am bmtJiadi) ; to which he replied, " How can
I do that when Thin-man is after me ?" {Cianiar ni mi
sin dar tJia Caoilte as mo dlieigh ?) In the cave, a night
of mist and storm came on, so wild that Dermid would
not venture out of the cave under the most urgent
necessity {cion-modh). He accordingly went to the
furthest off end of the cave. Unfavourable as the night
was, Ciuthach mac-an Doill, whose name is probably a
slight difference of Ceathach mac-an Doill (Mist, son of
54 I^he Fians.
Darkness), came in from the western ocean in a coracle
with two oars [ciirachan), and having drawn it into the
cave, he was about to embrace Grainne, when Dermid
slew him. When Grainne was returning to the sheltered
part of the cave, she made a remark, that she had been
for so long a time with the third best hero of the Fians,
and he had not been so bold to her. Next day, when
they started on further flight, he left broken bread behind
him. When he was caught and brought back to the
Fians, Fionn, who could not bring himself to kill his
sister's son, and besides that, like Achilles, Dermid could
only be killed by the heel, sent him to hunt the wild
boar. His death lay in bonn du na coise, or fore-part of
the heel, and after the boar was slain, Fionn made him
measure the animal with his foot.
" Dermid, measure the boar,
How many feet from nostril to heel ?"
** Dhearmaid tomhais an tore,
Co meud troigh o' shoic gu shail ?"
It was found to be sixteen feet, and no harm came of
that measurement. Fionn then asked him to measure
the boar against the bristle (^ati aghaidh a cJniilg), in
hope that one of the bristles might inflict a death-
wound. Dermid did so, and one of the bristles pene-
trated the fore-part of his heel {bo7in dit, na coise), where
his death lay. As he grew faint, a drink from the hands
of his uncle Fionn would have revived him, and Fionn,
from an adjoining well, was going to give him a drink.
When he thought of his nephew he raised his hands full
of water, and when he thought of Grainne he allowed
the water again to fall on the ground. While he was
thus wavering Dermid died. " Is not this", said Fionn
to Grainne, "the sorest cry that ever you heard?" {^An
glaodk 's govt cJiual in riaju/i). " No," she said, " but
the cry of Ciuthach under the soft hands of Dermid"
Dermid. 55
{Glaodk ChiutJiacJi o lanihan boga Dhiarinaid). It was
then that Fionn became aware of the blamelessness and
long-enduring suffering of Dermid.
In another version of Dermid's flight with Grainne, it
is said : When Dermid fled with Grainne there was
fresh snow on the ground. He turned his shoes back-
ward, and the Feinn in pursuit, thinking the dogs were
going the wrong way, were kilHng them. Wherever
Dermid passed the night he left unbroken bread {armi
s/an) to show his guiltlessness. At last they came to a
cave, and when resting in it a giant {Ciuthach) came in
with 2i string o{ fish {gad eisg). He then began disporting
himself {cleasachd), and Grainne said to Dermid, "That
is different from being a lump on the side of the cave"
(" Cha b' ionnafi sud sa blii air toin taobh na h-tiainhd').
On this Diarmaid killed Ciuthach. Grainne put her
feet in a pool of water, and some of it splashed on her.
She said, " I am so long a time going with the third
best hero of the Fians, and he never approached so near"
(" Tha mi 'n iiiread so iiine air f alb J i le treasa IdmJi fhetnii
na Feinne, 's cJia d tJiainig e riamJi co dlii sud onti").
Then Dermid left broken bread behind him. Bran was
sent after him, and he was caught. It was then he was
sent to kill the boar, and Fionn made him measure it
against the bristles. It was thirteen feet of good
measure {tri lajiiJian dciig de dJicagli tJioiiiJias').
There is also another version of the incident, to
the effect : On the night of Fionn's marriage with
Grainne the Feinn were at Kennavara. The bones
thrown out at the door from the feast set the dogs
fighting. They went out to separate them, and it was
then Grainne saw Diarmad's beauty-spot {ball scire),
which no woman could see without falling in love with
him. She wanted Diarmad to run away with her, but
he would not. At last, seeing she would otherwise have
his life, he came to Fionn and asked him {as per former
56 The Fians.
sloty). He did this thrice, and at last receiving the
same replies, he ran away with her to the Big Cave
{Uainh iiiJior). It was winter time, and he was there
under hiding {air choniJiacJi). One day of snow and
sleet he went to the door of the cave, when the CiutJiach
nibr came in with his boat from the sea, and drew it in
on a shelf in the cave. He and Diarmad played taileasg
and CiuthacJi won. As his prize he asked the v/oman.
Diarmad said that he would have, who had the
sharpest blade and hardest edge {is geire lann 's is
criiaidhe faobhaf). He took off the Ciuthach's head.
Every night he put a cold stone between himself and
Grainne. In the spring Manus and his men came.
The Feinn gave the war-cry {gaoir-chath). Diarmad
said, " I am under oaths and vows where I hear that to
answer it" (" Tha mionnan is boidcan oriii, far an cluinn
mi sid gum frcagair mi e"). Fionn and Manus fought
hand to hand on Trai-Bhi, and were out to the waist
{ionad a cJirios') in the water. Diarmad went to the
rescue and saved Fionn. When the strife was over, order
was given to make a circuit round him and make a
captive of him. He jumped over Fionn's head and made
for the hill. " Dermid, take the hill aslant." "That
is difficult for me, and Thin-man after me." {^'DJiiarmaid
fiar am bruthachr " Is deacair sin domJis\ agus Caoilf as
mo dheaghaidiL') He was caught, and Fionn by his
knowledge tooth {deud Jios) knew his death could only
be by his sole {bhas am bonn dii a cJioise). He was then
sent against the wild boar in Ben-nevis. In two or
three days he killed it. Fionn said to him, " You are
tired" (" Tha thu sgitJi') ; but when he remembered
Grainne, he made him measure the boar against the
bristles. " You are wounded, Dermid. With what can
you be healed ?" (" Tha thu goirt a Dhiarmaid. De
dheanamh do leigheas ?'') When Dermid died Fionn
said to Grainne, " That is the hardest cry you ever
Dermid. 5 7
heard" (" Sid an glaodh is cruaidJi cJiuala tu riavih"),
and she said no, it was that of Ciuthach. The innocence
of Dermid was thus discovered, and Grainne was buried
aHve.
This encounter with the wild pig is given in the follow-
ing lay, which was taken down from the recitation of
John Sinclair, Barrapol, an old man of about eighty-
years of age, who said he learned it in his youth from
Peter Carmichael, Tiree, who was at that time an old
man. It was written down in the summer of 18S1.
The Lay of Dermid.
Listen shortly if you care for a hymn
Of the company to be deplored,
Grainne and hospitable Fionn,
And the son of Dui'ne of noblest gifts.
The glen, and the glen beside it,
Where sweetly sounded the voice of deer and elk,
And the Fians often were
In keen pursuit, east and west, with dogs.
As we sat on the blue Ben Gulban,
Whose summits are the loveliest beneath the sun,
Often the streams were made red
By the Fians hunting the deer.
They prevailed, and great was the deceit.
On the son of Dui'ne of ruddy hue,
To go to Ben Gulban to hunt
The boar, that was difficult for weapon to subdue
" Dermid," she said, " do not answer the hunt.
And do not frequent the deceitful hill-top ;
Be not near to Fionn MacCumhal,
As he is lamenting the loss of his wife."
" Grainne, dearest of women," he said,
" Do not make your consort, men's disgrace.
I would answer the sound of the hunt,
Despite all the men of the Fians."
5'8 The Fians.
They awoke the monster from its sleep,
The troop of heroes up the glen,
Listening to the noise of the Fians
As they came in their eagerness
High above where it lay.
They let loose their good hounds,
Fionn's, and the huntsmen's hounds,
And they the white boar mangled,
Until its brain was turned.
Son of Dui'ne — man of strength.
If your mighty deed will be successful,
Be mindful of your arm.
For it is under it that peace will be done.
The son of Dui'ne of favouring weapons.
On seeing the monster.
Taking it from his own gentle fair side.
He thrust the spear into the wild beast's heel.
He drew a shaft from his white fair hand
To thrust it into its body.
And the shaft was broken in three,
Without any part going into the boar.
He drew his old sword from its sheath,
Since it was victorious on every field.
And he slew the great wild beast,
And escaped from it himself uninjured.
Sadness came upon hospitable Fionn,
And he threw himself westward on the hillock,
That the son of Dui'ne of favouring weapons
Should escape unhurt from the boar.
After being some time silent,
He said, and evil was the saying,
" Dermid, measure the boar.
How many feet from snout to heel ?"
He did not refuse Fionn's entreaty.
And regretful to us was his coming.
He measured the boar along the spine,
DcDiiid. 59
The son of Dui'ne of weighty step ;
" Sixteen feet of sure measure
In the spine of the wild pig.'"
" That is not it at all," said Fionn ;
" Measure it again, Dermid,
Measure it against (the bristle) minutely,
You will be rewarded accordingly.
The choice of sharp-edged new war-weapons."
He measured, and it was no fortunate effort,
The son of Dui'ne of mighty step ;
The rough venomous bristle penetrated
The sole of the hero, who was strong in fight.
" One drink from your cup, Fionn,
Good king, to succour me ;
Since I have lost my energy and substance
Alas ! I am wretched, if you don't give it'.'
" I wall not give you a drink,
Neither will I quench your thirst ;
Little you ever did for my benefit,
Much more you did to my loss."
" I never did you any harm,
Here or there, east or west,
But going with Grainne in secret
Appearance, taking me under spells."
Then fell wounded,
The son of Dui'ne of twined locks,
The most enduring hero of the Fians,
On the south-west hillock.
Powerful to attract women,
Son of Dui'ne of highest gifts.
Of love-making there is no mention
Since the earth has covered his face.
There was blueness and greyness in his eye.
There was smoothness and beauty in his cheek,
There was strength, there was valour in the hero,
And these were free from death's breast.
6o The Fians.
We buried in the same hillock,
When settling- the wild pig,
Grainne, daughter of Cormac o Coolin,
The two dogs and Dermid.
Laoidh Dhiarmaid.
Eisdibh beag ma 's aill leibh laoidh
Air a chuideachd chaoidh so a craidh,
Air Grainne is air Fionn fial,
'S air Mac o Duimhne a b' fhearr buaidh.
An gleann sin, 's an gleann ri thaobh,
Far am bu bhinn guth feidh 's loin,
Far 'm b' trie a bhiodh an Fheinn
Sear 's siar gu dian le 'n coin.
'Nar suidhe dhuinn air Beinn Ghulbainn,
A 's aille tullaichean tha fo'n 'n Ghrein,
Is trie bha na sruthain dearg
Aig an Fheinn a' sealg nam fiadh.
Dh' iomair iad, 's bu mhor a 'cheilg,
Air Mac o Duibhne 'bu dearg lith,
'Dhol a bheinn Ghulbainn a shealg
An tuirc, 'bu deacair 'airm a chlaoidh.
"A Dhiarmaid (ors ise) na freagair an fhaoghaid,
'S na taghaill am fireach breugach,
'S na bi teann air Fionn MacCumhail,
O 's caoidheadh leis bhi gun cheile."
"A ghaoil nam ban, a Ghrainne (ors esan),
Na toill thusa nair' ad cheile,
Fhreagarainn-sa guth na seilge
A' cheart aindheoin fir na Feinne."
Dhuisg iad a 'bheisd as a suain,
Na freiceadan shuas air a 'ghleann.
An eisdeachd ri gairich nam Fiann
'S iad gu dian os a cionn.
Leig iad ris na deadh ghaothair,
Gaothair Fhinn, 's fir na scilg,
'S gu 'n d' rinn iad mhuc bhan a liodairt,
Derinid. 6 1
'S gus 'n robh h-eanchain air tionndadb.
Mhic o Duibhne a threuin,
Ma 's e gu 'n deid do euchd leat,
Bi thusa cuimhneach air a laimh,
So an t-slth fa deanntear leat.
Mac o Duimhne nan arm aigh,
Air faicinn dha an uile-bheist,
O shlios thaobh-gheal shamhach thlath,
Chas e 'n t-sleagh 'an sail an tuirc.
Tharruing e crann o 'n dorn gheal bhan
A chum a shathadh 'na chorp.
'S bhristeadh leis an crann 'na thri,
Gun aon mhir a chur san tore.
Tharruing e an t-sean lann as an truaill,
O' si buaidh buaidh gach blair,
'S mharbhadh leis an uile-bheist,
'S thearuin e fhein uaipe slan.
Luidh sprochd air Fionn fial,
'S leig se e fhein siar air a 'chnoc,
Mac o Duimhne nan arm aigh
Dhol as slan air an tore.
Air dha bhi tamull 'na thosd,
Labhair e 's gum b' olc r' 'radhain,
" Dhearmaid tomhais an tore
Co mhiad troidh o shoic gu shall ?"
Cha do dhiult e achanaich Fhinn,
'S b' aithreach leinn a theachd o' tigh
Thomhais e 'n tore air a dhruim,
Mae o' Duimhne an trom troidh ;
*' Sia troidhean diag de dh' fhior thomhas
Ann an druim na muice fiadhaich."
" Cha 'n e sin idir an tomhas, ors Fionn,
Tomhais e rithist a Dhiarmaid,
Dhiarmaid tomhais e rithist an aghaidh gu mion.
Geibheadh tu do dhuais da ehionn,
Raoghadh nan arm roinn-gheur ur."
Thomhais e 's cha bu thuras aigh,
Mae o Duimhne an trom troidh ;
62 The Fians.
Tholl am bior-nimh bha garg,
Bonn an laoch, bu gharg 'san trod,
" Aon deoch as do chuaich, Fhinn,
A dheadh righ gu mo chobhair ;
O 'n chain mi mo bhladh 's mo bhrigh
Ochan 's truaigh mi mar d' thoir."
"Cha d' thoir mise dhuitsa deoch,
Cha mho chaisgeas mi t-iotadh,
'S beag a rinn thu riamh do 'm leas ;
'S mo gu mor a rinn thu 'm ainleas."
"Cha d' rinn mise cron ort riamh,
Thall na bhos sear neo siar ;
Ach imeachd le Grainne fo bhraid,
Tuar 'gam thoirt fuidh gheasaibh."
Thuit e sin fuidh chreuchd,
Mac o Duimhne nan ciabh cleachd,
Sar fear fulanach nam Fiann,
Air an tullaich siar fo dheas.
Cumhachdach gu mealladh bhan,
Mac o Duimhne bu mhor buaidh ;
Air suiridhe cha do chuireadh duil,
Bho 'n chaidh an uir air a ghruaidh.
Bha guirme, bha glaise 'na shuil,
Bha mine bha maise 'na ghruaidh ;
Bha spionnadh, bha tabhachd san laoch,
'S bha sid saor o cneas bais.
Dh' adhlaic sinn air an aon tulaich,
An am suidheachadh na muice fiadhaich,
Grainne nic Chormaic a' Chuillinn,
Da Chuilean, agus Diarmaid.
The immense size of the wild pig slain by Dermid,
and whose bristle was subsequently the cause of his
death, exceeds the size of any animal of the kind now
known. Probably, the size having been measured with
the foot, the hide of the animal must have been spread
on the ground, and, according to the lay, its measure
was taken from the very snout to the very heel of the
Dermid. 63
animal. In this way the height of the animal, as well
as its length, would be taken into account. Its measure
was not merely from head to tail, but also from snout
to forehead, and from the root of the tail to the extremity
of the foot on to the ground.
The precise colour of Dermid's hair is not always
described by the same adjective. He is commonly
called biiidhe, or yellow, but he is also very commonly
called Diarmaid donn, auburn, or brown shading off to
yellow, as in the following verse, an Anacreontic verse
by William Ross, one of the most popular of modern
Gaelic bards : —
" About Fionn I would lilt a song,
And of Auburn Dermid I fain would sing,
But melody my harp will not raise
But one on the love of maidens."
"Air Fionn gun togainn fonn,
'S air Diarmaid donn bu mhath leum seinn,
Ach duan cha tog mo chlarsach
Ach dan air gradh nan caileagan."
Some say that the wound which caused Dermid's
death was made by the bristle entering beneath his
great toe {fo ordag a choise). Neither are reciters
uniform as to who Grainne was the daughter of That
she was the daughter of the Earl or Jarl of Ulster has
been here adopted from its having a preponderance of
evidence in its favour, and being at least intelligible.
In the poem above given she is called the daughter of
Cormac of Coolin, which may be some other place
different from Ulster {Ulainti).
v.— CAOILTE.
The fastest runner among the Fianns was Caoilte, or
Thinman, whose name at first was Daorglas or Gerglas
(intensely grey). When at full speed he was said
to appear as three individuals, and this appearance he
presented when he returned with the arms on the day
of the " Battle of Sheaves". Some, however, main-
tain that the appearance of three was caused by the
height to which he lifted his feet when running.
Neither supposition is possible, but the story that Bran,
or Fionn's dog, when at full speed had the appearance of
a dog at every opening {aig gadi beallacJi) presents the
same marvellous idea. It was said that a fairy sweet-
heart gave Thinman {Caoilte) a belt, telling him to put it
on, and not be afraid of any man :
" Put the belt round your sides,
Son of Ronag, beloved of men,
And avoid not son of woman or mother,
That will come or has come on earth,
For hatred, for deliberation, or doughtiness."
" Cur an crosan mu d' thaobh
Mhic Rbnaig a ghaoil do dh' fhearaibh
'S na seachainn mac mna'jio mathar
Thig no thainig air thalamh.
Air fhuath, no air athadh, no air eabhonadh."
The principal occasion on which this hero figures is in
" The Lay of the Magic Smith", when his swiftness or
activity led to the change in his name. The ballad, or
lay, is commonly called Duan na CeardaicJi, or "The Lay
of the Smithy", and is as follows :
Caoilte. 65
One day that we were on the rush covered plain,
Two fours, two folds, was our company,
Oscar, Derglas, and Diarmid,
Fionn himself was there, the son of Cumal.
There was seen coming towards us
A tall man on one leg,
One top eye in his forehead.
Always making straight for the son of Cumal.
Ugly was the coming of the Big man.
Ugly it was and deformed.
With his darksome helmet of skin, that did not grow
twined.
Barely weaved and deeply red with rusted spots
(With his excessively large helmet
On his bare garments that had become ugly).
" Whence have you come, man ?
Or are you a clothier to shape skins ?"
" I am not a clothier to shape skins,
But I came to put you under spells.
Since you are a people engaged in warfare.
That you follow me an easy-going company
Westward to the door of my smithy.
Lon Macliven is my name,
I am the best warrior in this part of the country.
King ! it is a pity of the woman who reared me,
Myself and my other two brothers."
Var. [Edmond Tosny is my name.
If you knew me very well,
And I do smith work
To the Norse King in Spylie."]
" Where, wretch, is your smithy ?
And will we be the better of seeing it ?"
66 The Fiaiis.
" See you it if you 're able,
And if 1 am able you won't!"
They then became four companies,
Like five out on a bare expanse ;
One company of these was the smith,
And another company was Derglas.
Lon made off like the swift spring wind,
Over the dark glens of the hill,
And we could only see with difficulty
Portions of skirts about his heels.
Var. [The smith would only take one step
Over every glen and desert.]
Fionn was behind at that time,
And a few nobles of the Fians,
As we descended to the bottom of the glen.
And ascending to the windy pass.
Then was heard the blowing of bellows,
And with the utmost difficulty a smithy was found.
" Delay a little," said the smith ;
" Don't close before me," said Derglas,
" Do not leave me here alone.
Westward, in the door of the smithy."
Var. [In a narrow place here alone.]
There were seven smiths joyfully at work,
Seven men ugly and unshapely.
The smith had seven hands.
Seven tongs broad and light.
Seven hammers knocking out sparks,
And Thinman could fully answer them all.
One of the smiths then spoke,
A grim and frowning man.
Caoilte. 67
" What thinman is that, fearless one,
Who is stretching out fire for steel-making?"
Then said Fionn, the solver of questions,
The man who did not require teaching,
" He will not bear this name without it being spread ;
Derglas was his name till now."
Thinman, the watcher of the smithy,
Had the deepest part of the fight.
And redder than the glow of coals from oak
Was his hue from the result of the labour.
Feud, Fard, and Faondail,
At your slender hand, son of the smithy,
And the long eastern sea {jmiileartacJi) that Dermid had,
Many a man in its time it killed.
DUAN NA CeARDAICH.
Latha dhuinn air L.uachar Leothaid
Da cheathra da chro air buidheann
Oscar, is Daorghlas, is Diarmad,
Bha Fionn fhein ann 's b'e Mac Cumhail.
Chunnacas a' tighinn' nar coiribh
Aon fhear mor, is e air aona chois
Aon suil mhullach an clar aoduinn
'S e sior-dheanadh air Mac Cumhail.
Bu ghrannda tighinn an oglaich mhoir
Bu ghrannda sin 's bu duaichnidh
Le clogada ciar-dhu craicinn nach [dh'] fhas dualach,
Air mhaol bhearta 's air dhearg ruadh bhrig,
[Le clogada ceanna mhor ceutach
Air mhaol eididh a d' fhas duaichnidh.]
" Co as thaine tu, dhuine,
No 'n culaich thu gu cuniadh chraicionn ? "
" Cha chulaich mi gu cumadh chraicionn."
5^
68 The Fians.
Ach thainig mi g'ur cuir fo gheasaibh,
O 'n a 's luchd sibh tha freasdal armachd,
Sibh g'am leantuinn buidheann shocrach,
Siar gu dorsaibh mo cheardach.
Lon Mac Liobhunn is e m' ainm
'S mi gaisgeach is fearr an taobh-sa
Righ ! gur nearachd bean a dh' araich mi
Mi fhein 's mo dha bhrathair eile."
[Eamunn Toisneadh b' e m' ainm
Na'm biodh agaibhs' orm beachd sgeula,
'S gum bithinn ri obair gobhainn
Aig righ Lochlin ann an Speula {Spaoi/id/i).'\
" C'ait, a Ihruaill, am bheil do cheardach,
No'n fliearrda sinne (dol) g'a faicinn?"
Faiceadh sibhse sin ma dh' fheudas
'S mu dh' fheudas mise cha-n fhaic sibh.
Chaidh iad sin' nan ceithir buidhnean
Mar choig a muigh an a Cuimrig
B'e buidheann dhiu sin an gobhainn
'S bu bhuidhean eile dhiu Daorghlas.
Thug Lon as, mar ghaoth luath earraich,
Mach roimh ghleannaibh dubh an t-sleibhe
'S cha 'n fhaiceamaide ach air eiginn
Cirb da eididh air a shailteann.
Var. [Cha deanadh an gobhann ach aona cheum
Thar gach ghnne is fasaich.]
Bha Fionn air roinne (dheiridh) 'san uair sin,
'S beagan de dh' uaishbh na Feinne
Tearnadh le urlar a' ghhnne
Direadh ri bealach na gaoithe.
Chualas an sin builg' gan seideadh,
'S fhuaradh cheart air eiginn ceardach.
" Foiseadh beag ort," thuirt an gobhainn,
" Na druid romham," arsa Daorghlas,
Caoilte. 69
" Na fag mise so 'nam aonar
Siar mu dhorsan do cheardaich. "
Var. [An aite teann 's mi nam aonar.]
Bha seachd goibhnean ann ri mire
[Seachdnar] de dhaoine duaichnidh mi-shealbliach
Bha seachd lamhan air a' ghobhain,
Seachd teanchraichean leothar eatrom,
Seachd uird a bha ga spreigeadh
'S cha bu mhiosa f hreagradh Caoilte.
Labhair an sin fear de na goibhnean
Gu grimeach, agus gu gruamach,
" Co 'm fear caol tha sid gun tioma
Shineas a mach teine cruadhach."
"Sin," thuirt Fionn, fear fuasgladh cheiste
Lamh nach teagaisgear gun fhuathas,
" Cha bhi 'n t-ainm so air gun sgaoileadh
Bha Daor-ghlas air gus an uair so."
Caoilte fear faire na ceardaich
Sgial deirge 'n truid aige
'S bu deirg e na gual daraich
A shnuadh ri tarruing (toradh) na h-oibreach.
Fead agus Fard agus Faondail
Ri da laimh chaola mhic na ceardach
'S a' mhuireartach fhada bha aig Diarmad
'S ioma duine riamh a mharbh i.
Var. ['S an lamh (lann) fhada bha aig Diarmad,
Is iomadh latha riamh a dhearbh e.]
Another version of " The Lay of the Smithy" is as
follows :
One day that we were in the hunting hill,
We saw a sight from the east,
A big warlike hardy man,
And hateful to us was his coming our way.
With his black bundle of swarthy skin
70 The Fians.
With the bare part streaked and mottled red.
His cap about his bare deeply wrinkled scalp,
That was sharp, and he himself is forbidding.
One top eye in his forehead,
And ever making straight for the son of Cumal.
Then spoke Mac Cumal,
" Let not the man pass.
Put yourselves shoulder to shoulder.
And keep away the sallow-looking man.
Knowledge of your surname we would wish to have.
Since you have happened to come our way.
So that we may again tell a sure tale
Of what your object may be."
" Una, the daughter of Vulcan, was my mother,
The one woman who had most children.
And, O King ! 'tis pity of the woman who reared
Myself and my other two brothers.
Lon Mac Livin is my baptismal name,
I am the best warrior in these parts,
And I will put you under spells.
Since you are a people who attend to warfare.
That you follow me an easy-going company,
West, to the door of my smithy."
" In what place is your smithy,
Or will we be the better of seeing it ?"
" Let you be finding it,
For if I can you will not find it."
Lon set off like a north wind in spring
Over the tops of the hills.
And he would only take one step
Over each red desert glen.
Going past the hillock,
The company came close upon each other ;
One of these was the smith.
Another company was Derglas ;
Fionn then was behind,
Caoilte. 7 1
And a few of the nobles of the Feinne.
" Open quickly," said the smith.
" Close not before me," said Derglas.
" Leave me not here alone,
In a narrow place by myself"
" Youth of fairest look !
Confident am I of the speed of your feet,
And rise up quickly
To let the wandering youth in.
I never thought that Fionn ever had
One who would show his face in my house ;
May you enjoy your name Thinman,
You will not be called Dercflas from this hour."
DUAN NA CEARDAICH.
Latha dhuinn bhi 'sa bheinn-t-seilg,
Chunnacas sealladh leinn bho 'n ear,
Fear mor colgarra cruaidh
'S gum b' fhuathach leinn e thi'nn 'nar car.
Le bhondal du ciar-dhu craicionn
Le lionan^ breac as dath ruadh air.
Le churrachd mu chiona-mhaoil cheusaidh
Bha geur 's e ro-ghruamach.
'S aon siiil mhuUach an clar-aodainn,
'S e sior-dheanadh air Mac Cumhail.
Sin mar labhair Mac Cumhail,
" Na leigibh an duine seachad
Cuiribh air guailleadh ri cheile
'S cumaibh uaibh am fear odhar."
Fios do shloinnidh b' aili leinn uait
O'n tharladh dhuit tighinn 'nar car.
^ Lio7ian. There are doubts as to the word here meant.
Some versions would lead one to think that the mantle of skins
which the smith wore in some parts had become stained and
rusty.
72 The Fians,
'S gu'n innseamaid a ris beachd-sgeula
De tha thu air a shon.
" Una ni Mhulcain b'i mo mhathair
Aona-bhean a b' fliearr (torach) cloinne
'S a Righ ! gur niarachd bean a dh' araich
Mi fhin 's mo dha bhrathair eile
'Se Lunn Mac Liobhunn m' ainm baistidh
'S mi gaisgeach 's fhearr an taobh-sa
'S cuiridh mi sibhse fo gheasan
O'n is luchd tha freasdal arm sibh
Sibh g'am leantuinn buidhean shocrach
Siar gu dorus mo cheardaich."
" Cion an t-aite 'm bheil do cheardach
No 'n flieaird sinne ri faicinn ? "
" Bi sibhse nise 'ga faotainn,
'S ma dh' fhaotas mise cha-n fhaigh sibh."
Thug Lunn as mar ghaoth tuath earraich
Mach bhar beannda dubh an t-sleibh
'S cha ghearradh e ach aona-cheum
Thar gach h-aona ghleann ruadh fasaich
Dol seachad siar air an tulaich
Chas am buidheann air a cheile
Bu bhuidheann dhiu sin an gobhainn
'S bu bhuidheann eile dhiu Daorghlas.
'S bha Fionn a nuair sin air roinne
'S beagan do dh' uaislean na Feinne.
" Fosgail gu luath," ors' an gobhainn.
" 'S na druid romhain," arsa Daorghlas.
" Na fag mise so am onrachd
An aite teann 's mi m' aonar."
" Oganaich is ailleadh snuadh
'S earbsach mi a luath's do chas
'S ^iribh a sios gu luath
'S leigibh a falbh-bhalach a steach.
'S shaoil leam nach robh riamh aig Fionn
Na nochdadh a ghnuis do 'm thigh
Gum meal thusa t-ainm a Chaoilte
'S cha bhi Daorghlas ort o nuair so."
VI.— CONAN.
CONAN, who was an old man apparently, and bald, had
the name of being irritable, and of no strength till he
got his first disgrace over ; he was then as powerful
as any other man. He never appears ridiculous in
the sense of foolish or feeble, but he made himself
liable to be laughed at from the boldness with which he
thrusts himself forward, and asked to be allowed to
measure himself with the most redoubtable heroes, and
to be made spokesman to the most powerful enemy. In
combat or wrestling match, even a woman could over-
throw him at first. He was made prisoner, by the
binding of his two hands to his belt and behind his
back {ceangal nan tri chaoil), the tying of the three
smalls — i.e., his two wrists and the small of his back {a
cJiaol-druini). Sometimes, as in the contest with Conn,
Son of the Red, the two feet were also tied together,
and the hero was left prostrate, without power to raise
himself or to move. " The bald Conan, of a truth, on
Conan were placed the five ties under the same binding"
[CJiaidJi air Conan viaolgn deiniJiin na coig chaoil fdn aon
cheangal").
He figures in some recitations as a man much
esteemed by Fionn, and accompanying him on his
excursions. As evidence of his short temper, there is
a popular saying, that when Conan was among the
devils he said, "If I am ill off they are no better"
{"Beatha Chonain measg nan deaniJian, Mas olc dJioinh
chdnfhearr dhoibh"); or, as it is sometimes said, " ' Blow
for blow and scratch for scratch,' as Conan said to the
devils" {'' ' Buille air son buille, agus sgriocJi air son
sgriocJil mar thuirt Conan ris na deavi/umt^') ; or, as the
74 The Fians.
saying is used by Sir Walter Scott, " ' Claw for claw
and devil take the shortest nails,' as Conan said to the
devil" (see Wavcrley). He was the master of the
hounds, and is mentioned as one of those who went with
Fionn to the House of the Yellow Field, and as having
accompanied Fionn when he was walking out with four
others of the most prominent men of the Fians, and
were made to go to the House of Talkativeness, where
Fionn found his missing men. He also figures in other
stories as uncovering the poisonous fang of Bran, the
magic dog that Fionn had, and was of use on many
occasions. He is also mentioned, it will be recollected,
in the lay or ballad of Conn, Son of the Red, as well
as in other stories. It is said that on one occasion,
when the Fians were in the Mountain Ash dwelling
(yBniighin CJiaoruimi), they became transfixed to their
seats, but a drop of royal blood would loosen them.
Conan was left to the last. By that time the drop of
royal blood had become exhausted, and he said to
Dermid, who was releasing them, " If I were a pretty
woman, you would not have left me to the last "
(^' Nam bu bhcan bJioidheacJi mi chdn fhdgadh tu mi").
Dermid then tore him away, leaving Conan's skin to the
seat. Though Conan was the weakest of the host, yet
there was the combat of a hundred on his hand {comJirag
ceud air a laiviJi). He never saw a man frown but he
thought it his duty to strike him, nor saw a door open
that he did not enter. When he struck, the life of a
man was in every blow {Bha bcatJia duine air a dJiorn
na'm buaileadh e).
THE CATTLE OF THE FIANS.
It is said that the strongest and best horse which the
Fians had, White Front {Blar Aghan), was killed by the
Glas tarndiig fJiogJiaraidJi, or the hauling of crops in
harvest from wet places to dry ground by means of
sledges or cams, and these, as may readily be supposed,
were on wet ground a severe burden upon even the
strongest horse.
The Glas-gJioileain (Grey-cheek) was the cow the
Fcinne had, and the milk of which (there was a mouthful
for each), along with shell-fish, kept them alive when
game was not to be found, hence the story of the "Rock
of the Mouthful", which is as follows :
The Story of the Rock of the Mouthful
(Creagan a' Bhalguim).
It is told that once when the Feinne were in Skye
and the chase was lost, Thinman {Caozlte), who was the
swiftest of the band, was sent to look for the deer,
whilst they themselves gathered limpets at Loch Snizort.
He found them somewhere to the north of Lynecan.
The locality of this place {Loighneachan) is not known,
and it is possible that the tradition came from some
other place, perhaps from Ireland. When he saw the
game, he gave a shout which was heard by the rest
of the Fians, who were at the time eating shell-fish at
Loch Snizort. They heard
" The shrill, hard cry of swift Thinman,
To the north of Loineachan."
" Eigheach caol cruaidh Chaoilte luaith
Aig taobh tuath Loighneachan."
76 The Fians.
The one who had a mouthful of shell-fish and of the
Grey-cheeked cow's {Glas-ghoileavi) milk at the time
squirted out the unsavoury morsel, and the place where
this was done is called the Rock of the Mouthful {Creagaii
«' bhalguini). The rock at the place is certainly coloured,
or rather discoloured, as if it had been done by the
mouthful thus thrown out. Immediately the heroes set
off to where the chase was to be found.
The bed of the Grey-cheeked Cow {Glas-ghoileam) is
at the Kid Rock {Creag nam ineann'), behind Kinsburgh
{Ciiineboro), in Skye. It is said that Hiniosdail, in
Skye, was one of her grazing places. The other places
where it grazed in Skye were:
" Eisgeadal is Toisgeadal,
'S cam a' Choin is Braigh Ehran,
'S Uisgeseadar 's Suileseadar
'S a' Bheinn Mhoraig ceann an loch,
'S Achu-choirc as Malayan."
END OF THE FEINNE.
What became of the Feinne, whether they were dis-
banded, or came to a natural end, is not mentioned in
tales about them. The first misfortune that befell them
of the series which ended in their extinction, was a
fight which occurred between the two hosts of which
they were composed.
When Dermid had fled and was in hiding, he one
day lay concealed in the foliage of a tree. Oscar and
Goll were below playing at taileasg, or chess. (Some
say that Dermid was dropping little berries on the
squares on which Oscar was to play next ; others say
this is not implied in the expression.) Goll at last
said :
" Dermid's faithful teaching
Has made Oscar's ready play."
" Teagasg dileas Dhiarmaid
Rinn iomairt ealamh Oscair."
To which Oscar replied, " Though you little esteem
Dermid, w^e loved him" (" Ge beag ortsa Diannad bit
toigJi leinne e"). From less to more a battle was begun
between the two hosts, so fierce that the shouts were
heard a mile off {chluitinteadJi fad mile meallanaicJi mi t-
sluaigh). On that occasion, however, peace was restored ;
but, after the loss sustained by the burning of Brugh
Farala and the death of their most redoubtable heroes,
the Fians seem to have dwindled away, and to have
been no more a power in the land ; it was natural
enough that they should be no longer recognised as
of paramount power when their wives and growing
youth were destroyed by the burning of this tem-
78 The Fians.
porary residence. Fionn himself does not seem ever
to have had the same power after the severe wound
inflicted upon him at the death of Garry by his own
sword, which never left a remnant of its blow {tiach (V
fhag riainJi fuigJieal beiini)^ till that day. His son
Ossian, whose name in modern times has received a
recognition and provoked a discussion beyond that of
any other bard or poet of the Celtic race, survived his
father and all the heroes of his time ; hence, " like
Ossian after the Fians," has become a saying universal
throughout the whole Highlands, meaning or used when
a man is left alone after all his friends have died or
disappeared. " I am", said a man who felt himself thus
solitary, " Ossian after the Fians" ("/f mise Ossian an
deigJi na Feinne"). " You are", said a person who was
listening to him, and did not think much of his character
or complaint ('".S tu, 's tusa iniiisean an deigJi na Feinne")
■ — " You are the nasty fellow after the Feinne."
The story runs in Skye, and also in the Long Island,
that Ossian's mother was a deer, and the song is still to
be fallen in with, of which this forms a part :
" If you are my mother, and art a deer."
" Ma's tu mo mhathair-sa gur fiadh thu."
And the first time this became known was when the
Feinne were eating venison after Thinman {Caoilte), as
already told, found the deer at Lynecan {Loighneac/ian),
and the Feinne went thither. Ossian, on being offered
a bone, said : " When every one eats the shin-bone of
his mother, I will eat the thin shin-bone of my own
mother" {"Dar dh' itheas na Jl-iiUc fear calpa a mJiathair
ithe mise calpa caol mo inhathair f/un"). The version
of the song which the writer fell in with is as follows :
End of the Fdinne. 79
Ossian's Mother a Deer, (i)
"■ If thou art my mother, and art a deer,
I will say horon o ho
E ho hyri riivig
Ho ro, hy horun o ho.
If thou art my mother, and art a deer,
I will say horun o ho.
You will be afraid of what dogs can do.
If you go to high hills,
You will be afraid of artisans, (2)
Artisans and their dogs.
If Brian would take from me his murmuring,
Before my sweetheart will hear my voice."
" Ma's tu mo mhathair-sa gur fiadh thu
Their mi horunn o ho
E ho haori rithi-bhag
Ho rb haoi ; horunn o ho.
Ma's tu mo mhathair-sa gur fiadh thu,
Their mi horunn o ho.
Bi' t-eagal roimh ghniomh nan con.
Ma theid thu na beannaibh arda
Bi' t-eagal roimh chlann na cearda
Clann na ceairde 's an cuid chon.
Gu'n caisgeadh Brian dhiom a strannan
Mu'n cluinn mo leannan mo ghuth."
Notes.
(i) "Ossian's mother a deer." — The reciter (Skye) said Ossian's
mother was a deer, and that she only got one touch on his fore-
head with her tongue. On that spot {air an oism sin) fur like
8o The Fians.
deer's fur {ciiilg an fheidh) grew ; hence his name. A man at
Lochaweside said he heard a deer nursed Ossian, but not that it
was his mother. This account tallies with the belief held that the
deer were a fairy race. To keep this matter from being talked of,
Ossian was sent to the Land of Youth {Tir na h-Oige), which the
party from whom the story was heard said he supposed was some
island near Skye : Holm's islet, or Fladda Chuain. When Ossian
came ashore he was making his way along a road near a field where
a party was working at harvest work. He made inquiries, and the
company told him that, by the last accounts they heard of the
Fdinne, they were in Ireland. He made his way to Ireland, and
found his daughter, whose name the writer heard tell was Anna,
married to Patrick of the Psalms {Padridg nan Salm). Some say
that this Patrick was the same Patrick who blessed Ireland
{Padruig a bheannaich Eirin) ; but others maintain that he was
different. The kain that Patrick had over Ireland {A^ chain bha
aig Padriiig air Eirin) was as much food as was necessary to
maintain Ossian. Ossian's own daughter was very niggardly and
scrimp in the food with which she supplied the aged hero.
Cain is a common Gaelic word for a rent-charge or tax.
It is said of a man of a voracious appetite that he would eat
the kain that Patrick had over Ireland.
(2) " You will be afraid of artisans."
" Bi' t-eagal ort roimh chlann nan ceard."
The word ceard denotes an artificer of any kind, and is in
meaning, as well as derivation, the same as the Latin cerdo, a
workman. It now denotes usually workmen to whom the name
of tinkers are given. These wandering Bohemians were the sole
skilled artizans among the people of the Highlands ; at all events,
they were most skilled in the making of horn spoons and delicate
work, such as putting teeth in wool-cards, etc. At the present
day the term is one of reproach rather than of commendation.
There is a song which shows that the word, at no remote time,
was one applied to excelling merit. In the song of MacRobert
the Tinker occur these words :
" I gave my affection, why ?
Guess you, who to,
To the son of Robert the Tinker.
Not the tinker who makes the spoon
Or puts teeth in the wool-card :
But the tinker of war weapons,
With whom the hunt prospers.
End of the F^inne.
Black-cock and roebuck.
When you go up the frowning height,
With your gun and dog,
You close the eye
And bend the knee,
The deer son is then without cheer,
Losing its blood on the dew.
I gave my affection — why deny it ? —
To the hunter of the red deer hind,
Otter, and thick-lipped seal.''
" Ho ri hug o
Thug mi' cion, de fath .''
O haoriri horuinn ho ro hug 6
Tomhais sibh-se co dha .''
Do Mhac Raibeart an ceard
Cha 'n e 'n ceard a ni 'n spkin
No dh' fhiaclaicheas ckrd ;
Ach ceard a dheanadh nan arm,
Leis an cinneadh an t-sealg
Coileach dubh is boc-earb
Nuair dhireadh tu 'n stuc,
Le d' ghunna 's le d' chu,
Chaogadh tu 'n t-suil,
Is liibadh tu 'n glun,
Mac an fh^idh bhiodh gun sunnd
Call far air an druchd.
Thug mi 'n cion, c'uim an ceil mi ?
Do shealgair na h-eilid,
An dobhrain duinn 's an roin mheillich.
OSSIAN AFTER THE FIANS.
The Fians had disappeared, none of them surviving but
Ossian. When he went to Ireland after the Fians, and
lived with St. Patrick, who was married to his daughter,
it was said the daughter was so niggardly to her father
that seven skewers {seacJid deilg) were put by him in
his coat to keep it from hanging too loosely. Patrick
was building a temple^ at this time.
There was a large stone to be put in the temple, so
large that the sixteen masons employed in the work
could not lift it into its place. Ossian said that if he
got the food of the sixteen masons, he would lift the
stone himself The food was prepared, but, from
niggardliness, he only got the food of fifteen, and six
skewers came out of his coat. He was led out, and he
lifted the stone and put it in its place. He then fumbled
over it with his fingers, and returned into the house.
Patrick came to him and said that the stone was not
exactly in its proper bed, and he was to come out and
put it right.
" As it is," said Ossian, " so it will be. If I had got
the meat of the sixteen masons I would have put it
right."
He then called to his grandson to lead him out, as he
had recovered part of his strength. They went on till
they came to a loch, when Ossian said to the boy :
" Do you see a grassy hillock in the loch ? Lead me
to it."
^ All the buildings erected by Saint Patrick seem to have been
temples, as St. Patrick's Temple {Tcampull rhadrui^) in Kena-
vara Hill, Island of Tiree, etc.
Ossian after the Fians. 83
They went out in the lake, and Ossian plucked up the
grassy hillock and took with him a cauldron which was
below it, and they went away. They then reached a
high, steep rock, with a hole in its face. Ossian asked
his grandson to direct his hand into the hole, out of
which he took the bone of the Black Elk {Lon-DubJi).
" Now," said he to the boy, " put your fingers in your
ears as tight as you can for a short time."
The boy did this, and Ossian whistled loudly with
the bone of the Black Elk.
" Did that hurt you ?" he said to the boy.
" No," said the boy.
" What do you see coming?" asked Ossian.
" I see beasts coming together."
" Put your fingers in your ears again."
He did this. Ossian whistled again,
" What are you seeing now ? "
" As many more coming."
He whistled the third time.
" I almost think," said the boy, " that every living
creature is coming."
" If I had now the strongest and laziest lad we had
among the Fians, with the strongest and laziest dog."
The dog called BioracJi mac Buidheig, and the lad
whom they called Ton RiiadJi, then came. The dog
went among the beasts and was slaying them, and the
servant lad was gathering and piling them above each
other. When there were enough, as he thought, he came
and sat beside Ossian ; but the dog could not be stopped.
The boy said the dog was returning.
" What is he like ? " Ossian asked.
" Its mouth is open, and I can see the liver and
lungs on the floor of his chest" {^An griian 'j- an sgamhan
air urlar a chleibJi).
" When he comes, see that you direct my hand into
his open mouth " {craos).
6 2
84 The Fians.
He did so, and Ossian took out its liver and lungs,
and killed it.
He then told the servant lad to kindle a fire and boil
water in the cauldron. This was done, and when the
water boiled he told his grandson to go away before he
did him any injury. "For", he said, "I am outrageously
hungry" (" TJia confhadh onn gii biadh").
When he ate the meat, he said to the servant lad :
" Now take as much as you want."
The boy then returned where he was, and Ossian
said to him : " Three third parts of my hearing and
three third parts of my sight are restored to me. Go
home, your grandfather leaves you his blessing.'^
The boy left him and went home, and no one ever
saw or heard Ossian after that (^s chdn fJiacadh 'j- cJia
cJiualadh duine Ossian riauih tuilleadh ^na dheigJi).
In his hours of recreation from religious services,
according to a lay in existence, Patrick was in the habit
of coming to see Ossian, for well he liked his glorious
talk {(Jn sann lets bu bhinn a' gloir). Ossian used to tell
Patrick tales of the {Fcinne) Fians, and these were all
put into writing by Patrick. When, however, he heard
about the bone of the huge deer, in the marrow-hole of
which an unusually large bone of the deer then in exist-
ence could turn, he thought that the whole stories told
by Ossian were mere inventions, and in his indignation
he threw the writings into the fire. It was in this way
that the history of the Fians was lost, and this was
deplored by Patrick himself when the bones of the (Z*?//
ditbJi) Black Elk were brought home by his son, the
grandson of Ossian. This breed of deer had a brown
stripe along their back {slat dJionn 'nan druivt), and
was called the race of the Two Stick Kine {Siolachadh
Bo Da Bhiorain).
They used to have warm discussions about religion,
in which Ossian always maintained that Fionn and the
Ossian after the Fians. 85
Fingalians were quite able to take care of themselves
against all comers, especially God, of whom Patrick was
everlastingly talking. In a poem called " Ossian after
the Fians" (" Ossian an deigJi na Feimie"), said by Mac-
Nicol to have been composed in modern times by a
smith, who was called the second Ossian,^ the word
cJiubJial occurs in the discussion between Ossian and
Patrick. Ossian lost temper over the statements of
Patrick about hell, and the Fians being confined there.
The bard could not understand how, if the Fians were
there, they did not make themselves masters of the
place, and be free from any control over them. It was
then that Patrick said :
" Though little you think of the humming of a fly,
Or the mote in the sunbeam,
Without the leave of the Almighty King,
Not one crease would be in the fold of thy shield."
" Ge beag orts' chubhal- chrbnanach
'S monran na greine
^ See Highland Society's Report on Ossian.
2 The word adlcag is now the form of the word chub/iul, to
denote a fly, as eibJileag is used instead of eabhal, a burning
peat, which survives in the saying :
*' A burning peat on the cheek —
Women fulling and tailors."
'* Eabhal air gruaidh —
Mnathan luadh 's taillearan."
y
A red spot on the cheek produced by inability to supply sufficient
food to the workers. This is illustrated in the question asked by
Fionn (see Stewart's Collection^ p. 545) :
" What is hotter than fire .?"
" De 's teotha na 'n teine V
" The face of a good man when people come
And he has not meat for them."
" Gnuis duine mhaith gus an tigeadh aoidhean
Gun bhiadh aige dhoibh."
86 The Fians.
Gun chead do'n Righ mhoralach
Cha deid feicidh dh' fhile do sgeithe."
St. Patrick seems to have been as tenacious and fear-
less in the expression of his own opinions as Ossian
was of his own. There is a poem preserved, " Ossian's
Prayer" {''Urmiigh Ossiaiii"), in which Ossian is said
finally to have adopted the tenets of St. Patrick, and to
have been sincere in repentance for any evil he may
have done :
" The succour of the twelve Apostles
I take to myself to-night ;
And if I have done a heavy sin,
May it be put beneath hillock or in pit."
" Comrach an da Abstal dheug
Gabham thugam fein an nochd
'S mo rinn mi peacadh trom
Gu'n carar e 'n tom na'n slochd."
There is a curious expression, that the end of the
Fians was the going of Fionn to Rome {Tunis FJiinn
dJiol don RoiuiJi).
Tradition still makes mention of Ossian having been
in person remarkably strong and handsome. He could
boast of being able to overtake the hind of the red
deer, and hold it by the ear, at its utmost speed, and
that on the darkest night he could take out a thistle-
thorn. Whatever opinion we may form of the works
published l^ Macpherson, either as to their merit, or
their authenticity, or their antiquity, there can be no
question of this — in fact, it is outside of any question
that has ever been raised — that there are expressions
and sentiments of the highest merit, as emanations
from a gifted and poetic mind, to be found in the lays
and ballads which tradition ascribes to Ossian. The
popular mind has ascribed to him not only royal parent-
age and the highest poetic merit, but everything con-
Ossian after the Finns. Sy
nected with him has a fairy and wonderful effulgence of
magic influence.
One of the poems or ballads which have been pre-
served among the people, and uniformly ascribed to
Ossian, and which every mind is open to form an
opinion about, is the " Lay of the Red Cataract" {''Eas
Ritadh"). The poetic idea underlying this ballad
is one especially deserving of examination and close
attention. It solves many questions in regard to un-
written compositions, and their preservation for centuries
from one generation to another, the high opinion pre-
vailing as to the Gaelic bard, the merit ascribed to him,
and the rush which was made when Macpherson's work
appeared.
The ballad in question is outside the region of con-
troversy, and due praise might seem at first to be
exaggeration. The main idea of the ballad is that of a
young and beautiful princess rejecting the advances of
a bold and warlike prince. This idea is worked out by
the poet in a manner that makes the composition par-
ticularly noble and attractive. It is founded on the
calm of an early summer day, when nature's face is fair
and breaks into bloom and blossom, the beauty that
covers sea and land disappearing before a storm rising
in the daytime. When the young and haughty beauty
throws herself on the protection of Fionn, and the king
undertakes to defend her against all comers, and the
prince comes after her, and a fierce conflict ensues, w^e
have more than the elements of a beautiful poem, The
reader will condone the following further explanation of
the subject.
The princess is the daughter of King Under Waves
{RigJi fo Thuhtn), and the prince is a Son of the King
of Light {Mac RigJt na SorcJui). On a calm day all
nature seems reflected in the water, a person sees not
only himself, but houses, trees, mountains, and all the
SS The Fians.
beauty of earth so mirrored : this is the Kingdom Under
Waves. When a gale rises and the surface of the water
is ruffled, the beauty disappears and the charm
vanishes. As to the region of Sorcha (Light), from
which the prince is represented as coming, it is notice-
able in Gaelic that s begins words denoting ease and
motion, or gentle flow, while d^ denotes what is hard, stiff,
stubborn, and difficult to move ; thus, soirbh means calm,
gentle, quiet, affable, pliant, easily moved, while doirbJi
means rough, fierce, hard, difficult in manner or temper.
The initial particle so, prefixed to adjectives or sub-
stantives, denotes facility, aptness, ease, equality, and
sometimes goodness ; do implies, as an initial syllable,
the reverse, sometimes difficulty, sometimes impossi-
bility. For the purpose of comparison between s and
d may be quoted also sona, happy ; dona, evil and
unhappy ; shbailt, supple or easily bent ; dttbailt,
double ; socair, easy, at rest ; docair, difficult and
uneasy ; socJiair, privilege or adventure ; and docJiair,
loss or mischief; saor, cheap or free ; daor, dear or hard
bound. DorcJia, dark, has its opposite, sorcha, clear, or
light.
The gale denoted by the prince of Sorcha is not one
arising from darkness or cold, but springing up in the
day time and driving away before it the calm and
beauty of the early summer. The increasing heat of
early summer is laden with bliss and beauty, even to
inanimate nature ; the air is then redolent of joy and
youth, and "breathes, as it were, to mankind a second
spring." The simple prose narrative of the incident
which Ossian has worked into the poem is that the
redoubtable heroes of the Fians, with Fionn himself at
their head, were at the seaside, probably somewhere in
the north of Ireland, when a dark object like a mist was
^ This comparison oi s and </ extends to other languages besides
Gaelic.
Ossian after the Fians. 89
observed in the offing ; as it came nearer it proved — at
least so the poet tells us — to be a coracle, or small boat,
coming to land. When it came near, it was seen
to contain a solitary woman. It came into the
customary harbour; and when the woman landed, she
was observed to be one of supreme beauty and dignity,
so much so that all the heroes held their peace in her
presence. Fionn himself came to the shore ; she
addressed him in tones of great respect, appealed to him
for succour, and told him who she was herself, and the
cause of her coming ; that she was flying from the
advances of one whom she could not tolerate, and who
was coming after her. The king of the warrior band
gallantly undertook to protect her against anyone that
would come. They had scarcely finished speaking when
the sea came in rising waves, angry and violent, as if agi-
tated by a storm, and another of very warlike appearance
came after her on a horse. A person from whom this tale
was heard, said he could not understand how the prince
could have come on a horse, but it is not difficult to
understand how the rising waves could be represented
as a steed of great speed and strength, " when the
blackening waves are edged with white," and their
onslaught threatens to overpower all who may try
to stand against them. The strongest heroes of the
warrior band stand between the wave and the princess ;
but the wave breaks in violence on the shore, and
threatens to take her away. A battle royal ensues, and
at last the stormy prince is subdued and is buried with
regal honours. The name of the prince was BaoigJire
Borb (" A Fierce Ruffian"). Tarbh Baoighre, in some
places, is the name of the magic water-bull from which,
it is said, all calves that are crop-eared {corc-chluasacJi)
come, and, generally, the word baoighre means a wild,
senseless individual. The g or gh in the middle of the
word, which in English is expressed by gg, furnishes a
90 The Fians.
help towards an explanation of a term very common in
abusive language. The princess remained with Fionn
and his men for a year and a day, or, in other words, it
was calm and prosperous with them for a considerable
time.
Some collectors who have fallen in with this lay say
that Tiree is the Kingdom Under Waves, and Sorclia
Ardnamurchan, or some place near. In search of this
kind of explanation even Portugal has been brought in
as the place from which the fiery prince came. The
level character of Tiree, so different from the rest of the
islands of Scotland, makes it not surprising that some of
the islanders look upon it as a kingdom lower than the
sea. They say that from the west a boat will come to
it faster than it will go from the island out west to sea,
because in the former case it is descending a brae or
slope. In many parts the spray is seen right across the
island, rising on the opposite shore ; and in the centre of
the island, where there is a plain said to be 1,500 acres
in extent, in a high tide and stormy weather the sea
comes over the beach on one side, and there is nothing
to interfere with its flowing into the sea on the opposite
shore. It thus divides the island into two, but the water
is not so deep as to prevent passage from the east and
west side of the island. Ardnamurchan derives its
name from the numerous headlands ending in the
point so prominent.
The version of the poem with which the writer fell in
was heard from one who had learned it perhaps forty
years ago from a native of the island of Eigg, who had
come as herdsman to the former minister of this parish.
This is mentioned as showing what a hold the poems
and tales of the Fians had upon the minds even of those
who were neither bards nor musicians, and were entirely
unaware of all the questions which were roused by
Macphcrson. There is therefore no question about its
Ossian after the Fians. 91
being popular lore, and this is corroborated by the Dean
of Lismore's version, which is also outside of the Mac-
pherson controversy. The poem is as follows :
The Red Cataract.
A day we were with but few in number
At the Red Cataract of slow-moving fish, (i)
We saw sailing in the open sea
A large coracle with a woman in it.
We all stood on the hill-side,
Fionn of the Fian host and Goll,
Looking at a coracle which was
Most beautiful in its motion :
A woman with two oars parting the waves.
It made no stay in its coming,
Till it came to a stop in the usual harbour ;
And when it came ashore at the Cataract,
A lovely woman rose out of it.
Her radiance was like that of the sun ;
Mild was her demeanour and appearance,
The maiden who came from afar ;
We of a truth held our peace before her
She came to Fionn's pavilion,
And she sweetly saluted them.
The Son of Cumal returned her salutation
Fittingly and with measured words.
The King of fairest inquiry asked,
" As you are welcome, fair, newly come daughter,
Tell us indeed, I ask.
What tribe you are from ?
" The purpose of your journey from every quarter,
Young maid of loveliest form :
92 The Fians.
The journey that brought you from afar,
Will you not give us the purport of?"
" I am the daughter of King Under Waves :
I would shortly tell you my delay^ :
There is not a land over which the sun circles,
Where I have not sought your gallant heroes."
" Maiden, who traversed every way,
Young daughter of fairest charms,
The journey you have taken from afar.
Will you not tell us its object in very truth ?"
"My succour I lay upon you, if you are Fionn,
Fionn, father of all fair women :
The meaning of my journey and success
Is that you take upon you my succour quickly and
early."
" I will undertake to succour you, woman,
Against your pursuer ;
But that you tell us in very truth
Who is in pursuit of you ?"
" He is hard chasing me at sea :
A warrior of utmost keenness, close after me :
The Son of the King of Sorcha of Red Shields,
A chief who is called the Fierce Baoire.
" Spells I put in his head
That Fionn would take me over the salt sea,
Although great is his prowess and good fortune."
Oscar answered with ready loftiness.
The hero who could put a stop to every king :
" Though Fionn was not here,
You would not go with him as wife."
^ I.C.I the cause of my stopping.
Ossian after the Fians.
We saw coming on a horse,
A champion, who was greater than others,
Traversing the sea with speed,
The same direction the woman had come.
His helmet was close-fitted to the head
Of the fearless man and strong ;
A ridged target, not to be repelled.
Was from elbow to chest :
A large, heavy sword in his hand,
In the hand of the hero fearless and bold.
Displaying feats above his head,
As he came over the crests of the waves.
The look of a noble man, and the eyelash of a king
In the head of the man of goodly form ;
Good was his complexion and white his teeth ;
Faster was his horse than any stream.
That steed came to land.
And the man who was not smooth towards the Fians ;
Nine [two] heroes of us were there
To meet him — [it is a shame to tell it].
Regarding the champion who came to land
Asked the King of best fame :
" Do you know yourself, woman.
Is that the man of whom you speak ?"
" I know, Fionn, son of Cumal,
That he is harmful to your Fians,
And will threaten to take me away with him,
Though great your strength is in the Fian host."
Oscar rose, and Goll rose :
Fierce was their slaughter to the ground in fight.
And they stood in front of the host
Between the bis man and the wom.an.
94 The Finns.
He showed neither blade nor shield
To any hero or Chief who was there,
But slighted the Fians,
Till he himself reached Fionn.
The hero of comeliest form came,
With fury and strength in his head,
And swept with him the woman,
Though she was under the protection of Fionn's men.
MacMorna gave a sudden strong throw,
And his two hands were hard after it,
And though the shot did not touch the warrior's body,
Of his shield it made two halves.
The Oscar threw with utmost fury
A bloody spear from his left hand,
And killed the man's steed.
(Mighty was the deed that with us grew).
When the steed fell on the plain,
He turned with rage and fury,
And he threatened, though it be a hard matter,
A combat with fifty heroes.
Outside of myself and my father,
Fifty dauntless heroes went to the encounter :
Though great was their strength in the conflict,
He was like to slaughter them all with his hand.
(He would leave us bound
And take the woman with him.)
He gave two blows right merrily.
With perseverance to every one of these ;
We would all be under the sod
If )'ou had been restricted to man-to-man.
We quickly set nine times nine men
Before the hard strife ceased ;
Ossiait after the Fians. 95
The painful tying of the three smalls
On each warrior of these he put.
The Clanna Morna, hard was their case :
The number that were killed hard was the tale to tell ;
And none were there who escaped
But his body was full of wounds.
(They were for a year with Fionn being healed.)
Till Goll, of lively temper, advanced
To strike the man in the narrow path,
Whoever might see them then,
Rough was their prowess and movements.
They had swords on their strong points.
Belabouring bodies and shields ;
And the bout of combat the two had
We never saw before.
Were it not for the fifty stout heroes
Who went to meet him at first,
We would be helpless under his control,
If he had got from us his fair demand.
The Son of Morna transfixed by his hand
The Son of the King of Sorcha [a great tale to tell]:
It is a pity of any race from whom the woman came.
Since the Big Man from the ocean was slain.
After the fall of the great man —
The wound from the sea, hard was its step —
The daughter of King Under Waves was
Kept by Fionn for a year among the Fian host.
We buried at the foot of the Cataract
The warrior of strongest onslaught and deed,
And we put on each finger
A gold ring as honour to a King.
96 The Fians.
Eas Ruadh.
Latha dar dhuinn air bheag sloigh
Aig Eas Roidh an eiginn mhall (i)
Chunnaic sinn sebladh air lear,
Curach mbr agus bean ann.
Gu'n sheas sinn uile air an t-sliabh
Fionn nam Fian agus Goll
Ag amharc a churaich b' ^ille gniomh,
Bean da raimh a 'sgoltadh thonn.
Cha d' rinn i timh ann 'na teachd,
Ghabh i cala sa phort ghna
Air teachd air tir aig an Eas
Do dh' eirich as maca mna.
B' ionnan dealra dhi 's do 'n ghrei'n
Bu chaoin a mein 's a dealbh
A nighinn thainig an cein
Do bha sinn fhein roimpe soirbh.
Thainig i gu pubull Fhinn
'S bheannaich i gu binn doibh,
Fhreagair Mac Cumhaill i ris
Gu cubhaidh dhi 's gu foil.
Dh' fhiosraich an righ bu ghlan fios
" Air d' fhaillte nighean ghlan ur,
Ach gu 'n innse tu gu beachd
Co fhreumh as an d' thaine tu.
" Brigh do thuruis as gach rod
A nighean og is aille dealbh,
An turus mu'n d' thainig tu 'n cein
Nach d' thoir thu dhuinn fein a dhearbh."
" Is nighean mi do Righ fo thuinn
Dh' innsinn duibh gu cruinn mo dhail
Cha-n 'eil tir m' an iadh a' ghrian
Nach d' iarr mi fein do laoich fhial."
Ossian after the Fians. 97
*' A ribhinn a shiubhail gach rod
A nighean og is aille dealbh
An turus mu'n d' thainig tu 'n cein
Nach d' thoir thu dhomh fein gu dearbh."
*' Mo chomrach ort, ma's tu Fionn,
Athair Fhinn a mhaca mna
Brigh mo thuruis is mo bhuaidh,
Gabh mo chomrach gu luath tra."
"Gabham mu d' chuimrich a bhean,
Roimh aon fliear tha air do thi :
Na'n innseadh tu gu beachd,
Co e am fear th' air do thi."
" Tha e 'gam bheb-ruith air muir,
Laoch is mor guin air mo lorg.
Mac Righ na Sorcha nan sgiath dearg
Triath g'an ainm iad am Baoire Borb.
"Geasa do chur mi 'na cheann,
Gu'm beireadh Fionn mi thar sail,
Ge mor ghnibmh agus agh."
Labhair Oscar le glbir mhir
Laoch sin a choisgeadh gach righ,
*' Ged nach biodh Fionn aig an Eas,
Cha rachadh tu leis mar mhnaoi."
Do chunnaic sinn a' teachd air steud,
Laoch bha mheud thar gach fear ;
Siubhal na fairge gu dian,
An iul chiadna ghabh a' bhean.
A chlogada teannda mu cheann
An fhir nach bu tiom, 's bu treun,
Sgiath dhrimneach nach teid air ais
O uihnn, gu cneas a chleibh.
Bha claidheamh trom toirteil 'na laimh,
An laimh an laoich nach bu tiom 's bu treun,
7
98 The Fians.
'S e cluich nan cleas os a chionn
'S e tighinn an drimlinn a 'chuain.
Neul flath agus rosg righ
An ceann an fhir bu chaomh cruth.
Bu nihath a shnuadh 's bu gheal a dheud,
Bu luaithe steud na gach sruth.
Thainig an steud sin air tir
'S am fear nach bu mhin ris an Fheinn
Caogad laoch a bhitheamaid ann,
G'a choinneachadh (ri innseadh gur nar).
"De 'n t-suinn?" nuair thainig air tir
Dh' fharraid an righ bu mhath cliu,
" An aithnich thu fein, a bhean,
An e sud am fear a deir thu?"
" Aithneam, a Mhic Cumhail, 'Fhinn,
Gur puthar leam e do d' Fheinn
'S gu'n geall e mise thoirt leis
Ge mor bhur neart anns an Fheinn."
Dh' eirich Oscar is dh' eirich Goll
Bu bhorb an casgairt lom sa chath,
'S sheas iad an gar an t-sl6igh
Eadar am fear mor 's a' bhean.
Cha d' fhiach e lann no sgiath
Do laoch no triath g'an robh ann
'S gu'n d' rinn e tair air an Fheinn
Gus an d' rainig e fein Fionn.
Thainig an laoch bu mhath tlachd
Le fiaoch 's le neart 'na cheann
'S gu'n do sguab e leis a' bhean
'S i air guaillibh fhearaibh Fhinn.
Thug Mac-Morn an urchair gheur,
As dha laimh gu cruaidh 'na deigh:
'S ged nach do bhean an urchair da chreubh
Do a sgiath gu'n d' rinn e da bhloigh.
Ossian after the Fians. 99
Thilg an t-Oscar le Ian fheirg
A chraosnach dhearg a laimh chli,
Agus mharbhadh leis steud an fhir,
Bu mhor an t-euchd a chinnich leinn.
Nuair thuit an steud air an Leirg,
Is thionndaidh e le fearg is fraoch
'S bhagair e ge cruaidh an cas
Comhrag air caogad laoch.
Nach bhuam-sa 's bho m' athair fhein.
Chaidh caogad laoch nach tiom 'na dhail,
Ge mbr an spionnadh 's an treis,
Gu'n gheall e 'n casgairt le laimh.
('S dh' fhagadh e sinne fo shreing
'S bheireadh e bhean leis.)
Bheireadh da bhuille gu mear
Gu dian do gach fear dhiu sin
Do bhitheamaid uile fo uir
Mar biodh thu ag comhrag fir.
Chuir sinn naoi naoinear gu luath
San iorghuill chruaidh mu'n do sguir
'S ceangal guineach na tri chaol
Air gach laoch dhiu sin do chuir.
A chlanna Morna, cruaidh an cas
Na fhuair bas bu mhbr an sgeul
'S cha robh aon a thainig as
Gun a chneas fuidh iomadh ceuchd.
[Fad bliadhna 'gan leigheas aig Fionn.]
Do dhruid Goll an aigne mhir
A bhualadh an fhir sa chaol rod,
Ge be chiteadh iad an sin
Bu gharbh an goil 's an gleb,
Bha claidheamhna ac' air an sbc
A leadairt chorp agus sgiath
'S an tineal cbmhraig a bh' aig an di 's
Cha-n fliaca sinne roimhe riamh.
lOO The Fians.
Mur bhi 'an caogad laoch garbh
Bha 'n dail nan arm dha an tos
Bhitheamaid gun chobhair fuidh sprochd
Na'm faigheadh uainn a c heart choir.
Thorchuir Mac Morna le a laimh
Mac righ na Sorcha, sgeula mor
'S mairg treubh a'n d' thainig a' bhean
O'n mhilleadh am fear o'n chuan.
An deigh tuiteam an fhir mhor
An goin do 'n chuan, cruidh an ceum
Do bha nighean Righ Tir-fo-thuinn
B'liadhna aig Fionn san Fheinn.
Thiodhlaic sinn ag cois an eas
An curaidh bu mhor treis is gniomh
Chuir sinn air a h-uile mear
Fainn bir mar onoir do Righ.
Note.
(i) The exact locality denoted by the Red Cataract {Eas Riiadk)
is not clear from any description the writer has fallen in with. It
has been identified with the Salmon Leap on the river Bann at
Coleraine, in the north of Ireland. To this supposition an objec-
tion is, that the Salmon Leap is some distance from the sea, and
the coracle with the princess could not well be seen; neither could
the steed of the prince who attacked them, nor the breaking waves
be such as to cover the land to that extent. At all events, the poem
suggests that they were at no distance from the sea-shore.
The word which has been rendered "fish" is itself problematical;
many reciters say ati ciginn mall (" in slow need"), and it is quite
possible that the warriors living upon hunting and fishing may
have been at the time scarce of food, and want ever makes those
who fall under its iron hand less energetic in their movements
{Chan 'eil an t-acras faoin : " Scarcity of food is not a matter to
be neglected'"). If the chase was hid, and fish had betaken them-
selves to deep waters, the strongest man might have been rendered
slow in action.
Ossian after the Fians. loi
In this way the poet Ossian has worked the irrecon-
cilable elements of storm and sunshine into a poem
associated with the warrior band of which he himself
was a leadinjT and prominent member.
The following poem never appeared before in print,
and the person from whom it was written down [Allan
MacDonald, Mannal, Tiree] thought himself the sole
possessor of it.^ The writer has not fallen in with any-
one else who knew it, or heard of anyone likely to know
it. According to the preamble prefixed to it, Ossian
had become old and blind. The poem is evidently, as
stated in the preamble, the work of an old blind man ;
there is a presumption created that it might be the work
. of Ossian. The vividness of the description of a cold and
stormy night shows the author to have been observant
in earlier and better days, and to have had his attention
taken up with Nature in her waste and wildest forms,
and to have retained a power of description worthy
of previous and better days. The poem is here given
without alteration, and left to the reader's own judg-
ment.
1 A very similar incident and a very similar poem are preserved
in two Irish I2th century MSS., LL. 208^;, and Rawl. B. 502. It is
told of Finn and his servant Mac Lesc, i.e., Lazy Lad, how, finding
themselves one night on Slieve Gullion, Finn orders Mac Lesc to
seek for water ; Mac Lesc excuses himself on the ground of the
terrible state of the weather, in a poem beginning : —
"Cold till doom!
The storm has spread over all,
A river in every bright furrow,
And a full loch in every ford.''
The same poem is also found in connection with the 15th cent.
Ossianic tale, Uath beiune Etair, and has been printed by Prof.
K. Meyer, Revue Celt., xi, 125 ei seq. — A. N.
I02 The Fians.
OiDHCHE Dhoirbh (Stormy Night).
When Ossian was an old blind man, he had three
men-servants and a servant-maid ; and every night he
sent one of the men to see what kind of night it was,
and however wild it might be, he took one of them on his
shoulders, and went to the cattle-fold. The men con-
spired to represent the night as excessively stormy, and if
Ossian went as usual, to take a tubful of water and a
birch broom, and dash water in his face the whole way.
The maid persuaded him to go on his usual round.
When he reached the fold, and found the night calm, he
sent his servants no more.
First said —
Outside there is deep murmuring.
With heavy rain from the tops of trees.
And I cannot hear the sound of waves ( i )
For the heavy splash of dripping rain. (2)
Second said —
The trees of the wood are trembling,
And the birch becoming black-matted masses ;
Snow ever killing birds: (3)
Such is the tale outside.
Third said —
The face of the elements is to the east,
White snow and black deluge:
What makes the field so cold
Is the hard-drifting and falling snow.
Servant-maid said —
Rise now, Ossian,
To see the white-shouldered, white headed cows,
As the cold, thawing wind
Is taking the slender trees of the woods from the
hillocks.
Ossian after the Fians. 103
Is ann amuigh tha 'n torman trom,
Le uisge trom o bharr nan crann
'S cha chluinn mi farum nan tonn (i)
Le cidhe trom a chimhin chrann. (2)
Tha croinn na coille air chrith
'S am beithe fas 'na charra dubh,
Sneachda sior-mharbhadh nan eun, (3)
'S ionnan 's an sgeul tha muigh.
Tha aghaidh na siona ris an ear,
Sneachda geal is dile dhubh,
'Se dh' fhag an fhaiche co fuar,
An cathadh cruaidh is an cur.
Eirich thusa Oisiain,
Choimhead a 'chruidh ghuaill fhinn, cheann-fhionn
'S tha gaoth fhuar an aiteimh
Toirt slatan coill a cnocan.
Notes.
(i) It is said that the sound of the waves is not to be heard
when snow or rain is falling heavily ; it stops the conveyance of
sound.
(2) This obsolete expression, "Z^ cithe trom a chimhin chrann"
is illustrated in the version given by Mr. Campbell of Islay (p. 120,
Leabhar na Feinne) of the contest of Conn, Sutherland version,
and is explained in a foot-note. Cithe denotes the heavy splash
of blood which the heroes showered in their contest.
(3) A night of violent east wind, killing even the birds of the
wood, must have been wildly cold. Such severity of weather is
hardly ever known to occur.
VVe do not know who Ossian's wife was, but there is
a tradition that her father lived in a. place called the
{Griaiian Corr) Extra Sunny Place. The description
of this place is given in a brief extract which has been
fallen in with. His own daughter having on one occa-
I04 The Fians.
sion asked the poet, " Who was the handsomest man
among the Fians ? " he said :
" My good daughter, I could once
Catch the hind of the red deer
At its utmost speed.
And I could take a thistle-spike
From its wound
In the blinding, dark night,
Although I am to-night
A decrepit old man
Who cannot take
Himself from the well,
Nor from the house."
******
We reached the Extra Sunny Spot,
Which was thatched with the down of birds ;
It had door-posts of gold,
And doors of fluted grass.
" For whom is the wife asked ? "
" She is asked for Ossian, son of Fionn."
" Though I had twelve daughters.
He would get his choice of them,
For his exceeding good name
Among- the Fians."
" Mo dheagh nighean bha mi uair
A ghlacainn eilid air luathas a ceum
'S bheirinn bior foghnain mach
San oidhche dhorcha dhall
Ged tha mi nochd
Ann am dhiblidh sean laoch
'S nach d' thoir mi mi-fhein as an tobair
No 'n aitreabh."
*****
Rainig sinn an Grianan Corr
Bh' air a thutha le cloimhteach cun
Bha ursainnean ris do 'n or,
Ossian after the Fians. 105
'S cbmhlan do'n londrain. (i)
*' Co dha dh' iarrar a mhnaoi ? "
" Iarrar i do dh' Oissiain Mac Fhinn."
" Ged bhi 'agam da nighean dheug
Gheibheadh e raoghain diu
Air son a ro-chliu
Anns an Fheinn."
Note.
(i) lonttdrain, rendered " fluted grass", is long, hard, white grass
like sea-bent, and is to be found in marshy ground throughout Mull
and in that direction. It is used for thatching houses, and thatch
made of it is said to last seven years.
OssiANic Ballads.
The following ballads are also given, to make this
work as complete as possible, so far as the writer's
opportunities enable him. They exhaust all the
materials connected with the Fians that have been
fallen in with by him, and if in some parts frag-
mentary, they are at least free from the obscurity and
uncertainty that clog and detract from the merits of
all compositions to which the word " doctoring" or
*' cooking", i.e., interpolating, can be attached. These
ballads and poems were sung or recited in a melodious
tone peculiar to themselves which was called Cronan
na Feinne (the melody or purling of the Fians). It
might originally have been accompanied by the music
of a harp, but, as the writer heard it, it was entirely vocal.
It would depend very much on the character of the
reciter whether the " 0 tha" repeated three times after
each stanza was the remains of an older melody, or only
an attempt at mimicry.
The verse of the purling {cronan) which the writer
heard is:
io6 The Fians.
Cronan na Feinne.
" Is lionar cutral, 's lionar sgiath,
Is lionar luireach is lann gharbh,
Is lionar Tbiseach 's mac righ o
'S cha robh aon diu sin gun airm
O tha, o tha, o tha."
Manus.
" Cleric! who chantest the psalms,
I am convinced your judgment is not sound,
Why should you not listen for a short time to a
tale
About the Fians — you never heard before?"
" For your authority, son of Fionn,
And though you highly esteem the Fians,
The voice of the psalms throughout my mouth,
That is music enough for me."
" Do you compare your psalms
To Fionn-recitations about bared weapons ?
Cleric! I would not reckon it a disgrace
To separate your head from your body?"
" I take thy protection, great one,
The words of thy mouth are sweet to me,
And the tale heard of Fionn:
Joyful to me is the mention of the Fians."
A day that we were hunting on a sea side slope,
We did not fall in with the chase,
There were seen very many ships.
Sailing high from the east.
" Who is it that I will get
To go for news from the people?
Manus. 107
(Mac-Cumhail spoke fast)
He will get praise, and due meed."
Conan came near.
"O King! Whom would you like to send,
But truly wise Fergus your son,
Since he is wont to be ambassador ?"
" 111 betide you, bald Conan,"
Said Fergus of fairest mien ;
" I will go to get word from them.
For the Fians, but not at your request."
Young white-handed Fergus rose
To the road from the shore to meet the men,
And of them asked in civil tones,
Who the people were that came from the
east?
" Manus is our leader.
The honourable Chief of the Red Shield,
He will take the wife from Fionn,
And Bran over the waves, in spite of him."
" Though you are so boastful of yourself.
And that you think so highly of your people.
As many as have come from the far-off sea.
They will not take the wife from Fionn.
" Fionn will hold stout contest,
With yourself before you get the wife,
And the Fians will fight hard
With your people, before you can get Bran."
Fergus, my own son, came.
The counterpart of the sun in likeness,
To tell us of the people.
King! clear and loud was his voice.
io8 The Fians.
We spent that night till day,
It was not music to us to be silent.
Wine and secrecy, flesh, and waxen lights,
That used to be our music.
They unfurled Maol nan Dorn (Fisticuffs?),
The banner of young Ronald, son of Morlum,
They unfurled Geur-Iomlan,
The banner of young Dcrmid O Dwino.
We unfurled the Terrible Sheaf,
The banner of young Oscar my brother,
Though there stood not on earth or land
A banner that could war against it.
We raised the Sunbeam on high,
The banner of Fionn, great was its prowess,
Weighted with gems of gold,
And truly it was highly esteemed.
There were nine chains in it
Of pure gold extending to the ground,
And nine times nine warriors about every chain.
Urging it in front of the lofty Hero.
Bounteous Manus was overthrown.
In presence of the rest, on the sward.
And on him, though it was no kingly honour.
Was put the tie of the three smalls.
Conan came down to us,
The son of Morlum, who was ever doing mischief
" Let me at Manus of the Swords
That I may cut off" his head from his body."
" 111 betide you, bald Conan,
Friendship nor love I have not for you.
Since it happens that I am at Fionn's mercy
I love it more, than to be at your beck."
Manns. 109
" Since you happen to be at my mercy,
I will not contemn a worthy man ;
I will set you free,
Hand of might, to wage a battle.
" You will get your choice now.
Leave to go home to your own land.
Friendship and fellowship and love,
Or else to take what you can from the Fians."
" As long as I live.
Or the breath is in my body.
One blow against thee, Fionn,
I regret what I have done against thee."
" You did it not against me.
It was to yourself you did the hurt.
As many people as you brought from your own
land
Will not again return thither."
" A chleirich a chanas na sailm
Is deimhin learn nach maith do chiall
C'uim nach eisd thu tamuU sgeul
Air an Fheinn nach cual' thu riamh ?"
" Air a chumha-sa, mhic Fhinn,
'S air an Fheinn ge mor do gheall,
Guth nan salm air feadh mo bheoil
Gur h-e sin is cebl domh fhein."
"Am bheil thusa coimeas do shalm,
Ri Fionn-ghabhail nan arm nochd ?
A chleirich cha tamailteach leam,
Ged sgarainn do cheann o d' chorp.
" Gabham mu d' chomraich fliir mhoir
Cainnt do bheoil is binn leam fliein
'S an sgeul chualas air Fionn
'S ait leam bhi ti2:h'nn air an Fheinn."
no The Fians.
Latha dhuinn aig fiadhach na leirg,
Cha do tharl' an t-sealg 'nar car,
Chunnacas na iomada bare
Sebladh gu h-ard, ard o'n ear.
" No CO an t-aon a gheibhinn fhein
A rachadh a ghabhail sgeul de 'n t-sl6gh
(Labhair Mac-Cumhaill gu grad),
" Gheibheadh e blogh, agus duals."
Thainig an Conan a nios.
" A righ, CO 's aill leat a chur ann ?
Ach Fearghus fior-ghlic do mhac,
O'n 's e chleachd bhi dol 'nan ceann."
" MoUachd dhuit-sa, Chonain mhaoil,"
Arsa Fearghus, bu chaoine cruth ;
" Theid mise ghabhail an sgeul
Do 'n Fheinn 's cha-n ann air do ghuths'."
Dh' imich Fearghus dorn gheal 6g
Do'n rod an coinneamh nam fear,
'S dh' fhiosraich e dhiu, le guth foil,
" C iad na sloigh thainig o 'n ear ?"
*' Manus a th' birnn mar thriath
Macan mi-aghach na sgiath deirg
'S gu'n d' thugadh e bhean o Fhionn
Agus Bran far tuinn, ge b' oil leis."
" Asad fein ge mor do bhosd
'S air do shlbigh ge mor do bheachd
A mhiad 's a thainig bho 'n lear
Cha toir iad a bhean o Fhionn.
"Chumadh Fionn cbmhrag treun
Riut fhein niu 'm faigheadh tu bhean,
'S chumadh an Fheinn comhrag cruaidh,
Ri d' shluagh mu 'm faigheadh tu Bran
Manus. 1 1 1
Thainig Fearghus mo mhac fhein,
Mac-samhuil do 'n ghrein a chriith,
Dh' innse sgeul dhuinn air an t-slogh,
A righ, b' oscara mbr a ghuth.
Thug sinn an oidhche sin gu 16
Cha bu chebl dhuinn bhi 'nar tosd
Fion, is folachd, feoil is ceir
Sin an rud bu cheol duinn fhein.
Thog iad mach Maol-nan-Dorn
Bratach Raonuill big 'ic Morlum,
Thog iad amach a Gheur-Iomlan
Bratach Dhiarmaid big o Duibhne.
Thug sinn amach a Sguab Ghabhaidh,
Bratach Oscair big mo bhrathair,
Ca' na sheas air talamh, no air fonn,
Bratach gam bu choir a cbmhrag ?
Thog sinn a' Ghil-ghreine ri crann
Bratach Fhinn bu mhbr a goil,
Lomlan de chlachan an bir
'S deimhin gum bu mhbr a meas.
Bha naoi slabhruidhean innte sios,
De 'n br fhior a dh' ionnsuidh an lair,
'S naoi caogad curaidh fuidh gach slabhruidh,
'Ga iomain an uchd a mhbr laoich.
Gu'n leagadh Manus an aigh
Am fianuis chaich air an raon
Is dhasan, ge nach b' onoir righ,
Chuireadh ceangal nan tri chaol.
Thainig an Conan a nios,
Mac Morlum bha riamh ri olc,
" Leig mi gu Manus nan lann,
'S gu'n sgarainn a cheann o chorp."
1 1 2 The Fimis.
" Mollachd dhuitse, Chonain mhaoil,
Cairdeas no gaol cha' n' eil agam duit,
O'n tharladh dhonih bhi fo ghrasan Fhinn
Is ionmhuinn learn na bhi fo d' bhreth-se.
" O'n tharladh dhuit a bhi fo 'm ghras,
Cha dean mise tair air flath,
Leigidh mi thusa ma reir
A lamh threun gu cuir a chath.
Gheibh thu do roghainn a nis,
Cead dol dachaigh gu d' thlr fein,
Cairdeas is comunn is gradh
Air neo do Ian thoirt o' n Fheinn."
" Cho fad 's a bhios mise beo
No bhios an deo so ann am chorp
Aon bhuille t' aghaidh, Fhinn,
'S aithreach learn na rinn mi ort."
" Cha-n ann orm-sa rinn thu e,
'S ann dhuit fhein a rinn thu lot,
Na thug thu shluagh as do thir
Cha till iad ris a sin."
Note.
This verse, which might be introduced after the sixteenth line,
was heard from a different person :
" If you were worthless Cleric
With us at the beach to the south,
At the Cataract of the river of peaceful streams,
You would think highly of the Fians."
" Na'm bi' tusa chleirich chaich
Againn air an traigh mu dheas
Ann eas amhuinn nan sruth seimh
Air an Fheinn bu mhor do mheas."
{^Caogad^ The interpretation that Caos;ad means fifty is given
by Lhuyd, no mean authority; but the explanation that it means
Alvin. 113
nine is confirmed by a current rhyme as to the duration of the
pregnancy of animals :
"Three months for a dog,
Five caogad for cat,
The wife is the same as the cow,
The big year for a mare."
" Tri miosan cii
Coig caogad ckt
'S ionnan bean 's bo
'S bliadhna mhor na lar."
In a table given in some agricultural almanacs the time for
a cat was stated to be forty- five days, and sometimes forty-seven,
and it has been known but very rarely to extend even to forty-
nine. This agrees with the popular observation expressed in the
rhyme of five times nine being forty-five. When the Fians were
attacked by the Osterling, or Eastern Sea, nine caogad put their
backs to the door to keep her out (see tale of Muireartach^
Osterling Sea), and nine times nine of the Fians put their backs
to the door and nine iron chains binding each other. The old
wife whom the Osterling Sea denotes, gave a kick to the door, the
door flew open, and the warriors were thrown on their backs on
the floor. Even nine is an extravagance as to the number who
were overthrown, but fifty, or nine times fifty, is out of all bounds.
The ballad was learned about forty-five years ago from a very
old man in Balemeanach, Tiree, 1869, by Malcolm McDonald,
Scarinish, from whose recitation it was taken down, 1869.
Alvin (Ailbhinn).
A day that Patrick was in his dwelling (i)
Heedless of psalms, but drinking, (?)
He went to the house of Ossian, son of Fionn,
Since well he liked his lofty talk.
" Are we welcome, generous old man?
To you on a visit we have come.
Hero, soldier-like, and finest of form,
That never refused anything to any one.
I would like to hear from you.
Son of Cumal, of stately and warlike .stride,
8
114 ^^^^^ Fians.
Of the greatest strait in which the Fians ever were
Since first their track was found."
It is I who can tell you that,
Patrick, of the sweet-sounding psalms ;
The straitest place in which the men were
From the day on which the Fians of Fionn were set on
foot.
Fionn neglected to invite to a feast,
Alvin among the first heroes,
And some of the Fians of purest redness.
And their wrath and indignation were roused.
Alvin, son of the cool Fian man.
By whom the edge of the sword was soon made red ;
Even so, and Thinman, pure and fresh,
Absented themselves for a year from the dwelling of
Fionn.
They took (fearsome was their journey)
The ships that were long before our time.
From the small summer residence of the Fians
To Lochlinn's King of slippery shields.
A year and day's term of service to the King
Was engaged to be made by the two of modest form.
The wife of Lochlinn's King of brown shields,
Fell in love heavily and not lightly.
The wife of Lochlinn's King of brown shields.
Fell in love heavily and not lightly
With lovable Alvin of sharp-edged weapons.
And they did deceitfully conceal it.
The wife left the King's bed-
That was the act for which blood was spilt,
To the small summer dwellings of the Fians
They took their journey over sea.
Alvin. 15:
The King of Lochlinn gathered his men,
A large fleet he took with him ;
And what he had at the time
Was nine Kings, and their people with them ;
Seven detachments, north and south,
Of men as good as ever were seen ;
Four detachments were we to meet them,
Of goodly Fians of worthy deeds.
But Lochlinners, a fierce company,
Could neither be enraged nor overawed ;
They would take nothing under the sun,
But the total overthrow of the Fian host.
The first message that came from the King,
That was sad news that tried us hard :
As many as there was of us of the Fians of F'ionn,
During our time to be taken from us.
Alvin stood the heavy onslaught.
Since he was wont to be in the front ;
The head of Alvin and the son of Leirr
Were won at the second blow.
Thirty leaders of our host.
And the head of Alvin foremost,
These fell by the hand of Ergan
Before the people closed.
Fionn, the noble leader, asked his people,
As many as were there at the time.
Who would strive with Erragon in the conflict.
Before our disgrace was reaped by him.
" That would suit Goll well,
A champion who always backs us ! "
" Leave the conflict between Erragon and myself,
And let it be left between us in close quarters."
8^
1 1 6 The Fians.
*' The son of Lovic, and Oscar the champion,
Brown-haired Dermid, and the son of Lego,
Take these on each side of your shield
To protect you from the stroke of the hero."
(" Put Oscar and brown Dermid,
Bent Farquhar and the son of Geil,
To protect him from the blows of the hero,
One on each side of his shield.")
They were not long attacking each other;
They did not do half of it that day ;
The head of Big Erragon of the ships fell,
And Goll was victorious at the ninth hour.
Praised be the soul of my King,
That these two were to escape,
When one man and half of the Fians
Fell on the hillside to the south.
Unless one who was disabled,
Or went over to Greek land,
No one returned to his own land
Of all that the King of Lochlinn brought over.
Latha do Phadruig 'n a mhur
Gun sailm air uigh ach ag bl (?)
Chaidh e thigh Oisiain 'ic Fhinn
O 'n 's ann leis bu bhinn a ghlbir.
" An e ar beatha, sheanair shuairc,
Thugad air chuairt thainig sinn,
A laoich mhileanta 's fhearr dreach,
Nach d' thug eurabh a neach mu ni.
*' Fios a b' fhearr leam fliaighinn uait
Mhic Cumhail nan cruaidh cheum colg.
An t-aite is teinne 'n robh an Fhiann,
O 'n bha-tar riaJiih air an lorg."
Alvin. 1 1 7
" 'S mise dh 'fheudadh sin duit innse
Phadruig nan salm binn
An t-aite 's teinne ""n robh na fir
O 'n latha ghinte Fianntaidh Fhinn.
Dearmad fleagh gu 'n d' rinn Fionn
Air Ailbhinn an tiis nan laoch,
'S air cuid de 'n Fheinn bu ghlan deirg
'S gu 'n d' eirich am fearg 's am fraoch.
Ailbhinn mac an Fhianntaidh fhuair,
Leis an deargta gu luath roinn,
Mar sud is Caoilte glan ur
Dh' eitich bliadhna roi mhur Fhinn.
Thugadar (gum b' ogluidh 'n triall),
Na luingeis bha cian roi 'r linn,
O airidh-Lugha nam Fiann
Gu righ Lochlainn nan sgiath sliom.
B' e fasda la 's bliadhn' aig an righ
Rinn an dithis bu chaoine dreach,
Ghabh bean Righ Lochlainn nan sgiath donn
Trom cheist mhor 's cha robh e beag,
Ghabh bean Righ Lochlainn nan sgiath donn
Trom cheist mhor 's cha robh e beag,
Air Ailbhinn ghreadhnach nan arm geur
'S rinneadh le ceilg roi chleith.
Ghluais a 'bhean a leab' an Righ
('Se sud an gniomh mu 'n doirteadh fuil)
Gu airidh-Lugha nam Fiann,
Thugadar an triall thar muir.
Chruinnich Righ Lochlainn a shluagh,
Cabhlach cruaidh gu 'n d' thug e leis
'Se sin a bh' aig' air an uair
Naoi righrean 's an sluagh leis.
Seachd cathanna, deas agus tuath,
Pe 'n sluagh a b' fhearr gam facas riamh.
1 1 8 The Fians.
Ceithir cathan sinne 'nan dail
De Fhianntaidh aillidh bu ghlan gniomh.
Ach Lochlainneach, a 'bhuidhean bhorb,
Aig feabhas an colg chum gniomh
Cha ghabhadh iad ni fuidh 'n ghrein
'S an Fheinn uile bhi 'gan dith.
Chiad teachdaireachd thainig o 'n righ
('S sgeul tiom' sud chuir dhinn gu luath),
Na bha againn de Fhianntaidh Fhinn
Bhi ri 'r hnn ga thoirt uainn.
Fhreasdal Ailbhinn an comhrag cruaidh
O 'n 's ann da nach bu dual a bhi air for,
Ceann, Ailbhinn, agus Mhic Leirr
Bhuidhneadh air an darna beum.
Deich ceannarda fichead d' ar slbigh
'S ceann Ailbhinn fein air lus
Bha sud air laimh lorghuill mhbir,
Mu 'n deachaidh na sloigh an dluths.
Dh' fliiosraich Fionn ilath 'ga shluagh,
Na bha 'n uair sin dhiu ann,
Co bhuineadh ri lorghuill san treis
Mu 'm buineadear leis ar tair.
" Bu mhath fhreagradh sud air Goll,
Sonn a tha air ar cul ! "
" Leagar eadar mi 's lorghuill san treis
'S leagar eadar sinn an cleas dlii."
" Mac Luthaich is Oscar an sonn
Is Diarmad donn is Mac-a-Leigh
Thoir sid air gach taobh do d' sgeith
G' ad dhideineadh o bheum an laoch."
(" Cui ribh Oscar 's Diarmad donn
Fearchar crom 's Mac-a-Gheill
G'a dhion o bhuillean an laoich
Fear dhiu air gach taobh mu sgeith.")
Alvin. 119
Ge b' fhada thug iad greis
Cha d' rinn iad a leth 'san la,
Thuit ceann lorghuill mhbr nan long,
'S bhuidhinn GoU air a naoidheamh tra.
Buidheachas do anam mo righ
Gu 'n robh an dithis sin ri tigh 'nn as
Fear is darna leth nam Fiann
Thuiteam air an t-sliabh mu dheas.
Mur robh fear a chaidh o fheum
No chaidh air a' Ghreig a null,
Cha deachaidh fear gu' thir fein
De na thug Righ Lochlainn a nail."
NOTF.S.
Mur^ a, dwelling, is connected etymologically with the Latin
tmirtis, a wall. The cells or places of shelter in which the early
Christians seem to have contented themselves, were probably
merely huts or places that would protect them from the elements
and rain, while they pondered over the manuscript in which the
Gospel tale was told.
The Book of Psalms seems also to have attracted much atten-
tion, and the repetition or intonation of psalms to have been a
favourite occupation.
The writer has heard it put forward that the word J/, rendered
drinking, may be a corruption from the word oil.
This lorghuill, or Erragon, seems to have been a kind of bully
or champion kept by the North King, a strong man and ready
swordsman.
Greece is apparently a vague name for some remote or unknown
place on the continent of Europe. In the unpublished tale
l^sgenlachd) of " The Soldier of Misfortune", there is an account
of a feast at which five kings sat. The King of Little Greece, and
the King of Big Greece, the King of Blue Greece, and the King of
Red Greece, and the King of Branched Greece {Righ na Greige
bige, 'j- Righ 71a Grdige tnora, Righ na Gr'eige Giiirme, 'j Righ fia
Greige Deirge, ^s Righ na Greige Meatiganaich).
CONN, SON OF THE RED.
A TALE of Conn, Son of the Red,
Full of heavy wrath.
Coming to avenge his father's death
On the worthies and high dignitaries
Within the big bounds of Ireland.
A tale of Conn, the best, the manly,
The stout, the stalwart, the gentle, the comely.
Which was the biggest, the Conn or the Red ?
Said Ossian, in the sweet-sounding words of his mouth.
Or were his shape and form the same
As the Red, the big, the active, the lightly moving ;
The same as the Red One, the lightly moving.
Much bigger was Conn, much more, very much,
Coming towards our people.
Drawing his boat in
From the environments of ocean and strait ;
In ocean and in straits.
He sat on the knoll near us.
The very heroic and most valorous man ;
As if you were to see a whirlpool.
Or the ebb of the sea against strong waves ;
Or as the sound of billow in boiling waves
In the utmost strength of the billows.
In the utmost fury of the great man,
In search of avenging his father's death.
He rose to the folds of the clouds.
Above us, in his next exploits,
Westward in the bulking of the clouds.
Conn, Son of the Red. 121
He could work ready plays,
In the face of the clouds.
He sat on outside knolls,
The mighty, strong, big man,
And he placed his sword on a hero's account
Without fear of the strife.
The like of him we never saw
For his strength and mightiness of deed,
And many a warrior was unweariedly
Giving him obedience and great tribute.
Then when came cheerful, exceeding handsome
Fergus,
At his father's instance (as I would wish),
To ask news from the tall man :
"What the cause may be of your journey to Ireland.
Great, victorious, eager Conn,
Pleasant, joyful, merry.
I am come to learn from you.
What the cause is of your coming to the land ?"
" Why should I not tell that to you, Fergus,
And carry you it with you ?
My father's ransom I would have
From you, and from the nobles of the men of Ireland.
The head of Goll and his two big sons,
The head of Conan and his two valued sons.
The head of Finn, supreme Head of the host,
Finn and Fasdal,
And the heads of the Clanna Morna altogether,
Or all that are alive in Ireland,
In Ireland from sea to sea,
As a ransom for one man.
To yield to my yoke,
Or combat of five hundred
To-morrow morning.
122 The Fians.
Five hundred big men,
To set them to combat with my worst man
Out to-morrow.
And that I separate their heads from the bodies,
Of Finn, Conan, and Cormac."
" Let me at him," said Coreven,
" That I may take off his head."
" Don't you speak, Coreven," said Fionn.
" And utter not such a foolish proposition ;
He will not be subdued without guile.
By two-thirds of those that are in Ireland."
" Let me at him," said Conan,
" That I myself may take off his head."
" Evil betide you, hold you your peace, bald Conan
(said Fionn),
Will you not stop your forwardness ever ?"
Then it was that Conan
Weakly, ill, faint, without sense.
Entirely against the will of the Fian King,
Like a turn to the left hand, to his hurt.
And when the well-formed hero saw
Conan putting on his armour,
He caught a door-bar.
As he fled wildly :
Many were those caused by it,
Of knob, and big lump,
Outcry and loud shouting from Conan's head,
No less loud
Than the sound of waves against a beach.
And the whole host of the Fians
All hearing him.
On bald Conan of a truth
Were put the fi\c tics under one binding.
Conn, Son of the Red. 123
Then were sent out six-score big men
Of the best of families and people,
And he took a manly rush through them,
Like a hawk through a flock of little birds,
As quick as a strong mill-wheel.
Many a shape changed appearances.
And forms their shape, with hardness of sword-blades.
Many a head and half limb.
And many a skull lay here and there,
Five hundi'ed more though they were there
Would fall in one mass.
Conn, still sounding a challenge-note on his shield,
Asking combat — and an evil asking it was.
And the Feinne uttered a hard cry of distress,
At the slaughter of their numerous people,
Till there were felled by him the ten-score big men,
Of the best of families and people.
To tell you a history.
The Fians never were
So frightened for one man.
Then spoke Fionn :
*' Goll, son of Morna of great deeds.
Why should you not rise Goll ?
Man whose wont was ever to succour us.
The desire of every town,
And strong hero in time of need.
It is too bold in me to threaten with Conn (you),
And the whole race of Morna.
But \vhy should you not take off his head manfully,
As you did to his father heretofore ?"
" I would do that for you, Fionn,
Man of warm, sweetly-sounding words,
Though it was by you Clanna Morna fell, changed,
But that hatred and secret thoughts be laid aside,
And we all be of one mind,
124 '^^^^ Fians.
Though the whole Fians were killed
To the loss of one man,
I myself, and my strong men would be with you,
King of the Fians, to succour you."
Then went
Five hundred of us to meet him,
And Goll was prepared to meet them.
Like a hawk on a covey of birds, though of a size.
Numerous were then to be found there
One with one eye, and one with one hand,
And though as many more were there.
They would be found dead around him.
Then when Goll
Was going to the contest,
Goll moved in his hard attire
In presence of the multitude.
In that hour.
White and red was the face of the man of strife
As he went into the strife,
Flowing hair, yew-like, on rough hill-side,
Crimson cheeks like dried yew.
Sheltered under eyebrows bent and narrow.
Sinking in steep inclines,
Remembering the greater mystery.
He put his shield buckled.
Crooked, narrow-topped,
On his left hand,
And took his heavy-wielding, dashing.
Hard sword
In his right hand.
Then when began the two warriors
Of best form.
The earth was made
To shake tremulously,
Conn, Son of the Red. i2_
Splitting the knives of shields,
And shields of phantoms.
Shedding nauch blood,
From the ever-moving hands of each,
Three flashes they would emit,
A flash of fire from their armour,
A flash of sound from their bucklers
A flash of flesh and blood,
From their frames and their whole bodies.
Then it was,
Till the tide fell back,
And the clouds bent down.
And the elves of the hills
Came out to be amused and amazed.
Eleven days and a time,
Sorrowful were men and women.
Till there fell by Goll of blows
The big, valiant man, with great difficulty.
A joyous shout the Fians gave.
Such as they never gave before,
On seeing powerful Goll victorious,
Over the great, the boastful, the arrogant Conn.
Conn Mac an Deircx.
Sgeulachd air Chonn Mac an Deirg
Air a lionadh le trom fheirg,
Dol a dhioladh eiric athar gun fheall,
Air mhaithibh 's air mhbr uaisle
Air chriochaidh mora na h-Eirinn.
Sgeulachd air Chonn fear fearail
An sonn calma caoin ceanail.
" Co dhiu bu mhotha 'n Conn no 'n Dearg?'
Ars Oisian nam briathran binne beoil !
126 The Fians.
" No 'm b' ionnan dealbh dha is dreach,
'S do 'n Dearg mhor, mhear, mheamnach
Dha fhein 's do 'n Deargan mheamnach ?"
Bu mhotha 'n Conn gu mbr mor
Tighinn an caramh ar slbigh,
Tarruing a luingeis a steach
A crioslaichibh cuain agus caolais,
An cuan agus ann an caolas.
Shuidh e air an tulaich 'gar coir
Am fiui curanta ro-mhor
Mar fhaiceadh sibh coire chrunn
Mar thraghadh mara ri treun thuinn
No mar fhuaim tuinne ri teth tuinn
Aig ro-mhiad falachd an tuinn
Aig ro-mhiad feirg an fhir mhoir
'S e an tbir air eiric athar a dhioladh
Dh' eiricheadh e ann am frilleinibh na nial
Os air cionn anns an ath-mhiad
Siar ann am bailcibh na hiarmailt.
'S dh' iomaradh e air cleasan coireach,
Ann an aodann nam fireiltean
Shuidh e air tulachan corr,
Am fiui curanta, ro-mbr,
'S chuir e chlaidheamh air sgath laoich,
'S gun eagal aimhreit air.
A mhac samhuilt cha 'n fhacas riamh
Air ghaisge 's air meud a ghniomh
'S gur ioma laoch bha gun sgios
Toirt da geill agus mbr chis.
Sin 'nuair thainig Fearghus mirlum aluinn
Air chbmhairle, athar mar a b' aill leam,
Ghabhail sgeul do 'n fhfear mhbr,
" De fath do choiseachd do dh' Eirinn ?
A Chuinn mhoir, l:)huaghaich, bhrais,
Shugach, ait, ail)hinn.
Conn, Son of the Red. 1 2 ;
Dh' Ihiosrachadh thainig mi dhiot
Ciod e fath do thuruis do 'n tir ?"
" C uim nach innsinn sin duit-sa, Fhearghuis,
Agus buin leat e
Eiric m' athar a b' aill leam,
Bhuaitse 's bho uaislean uile fir f2irinn,
Ceann Ghuill 's a dha mhic mhbir
Ceann Chonain 's dha mhic muill
Ceann Fhinn flath an t-sl6igh
Fhinn agus Fhaisdeil,
'S cinn chlanna Morna gu h-uile,
Na na bheil beo an Eirinn
Na Eirinn, o thuinn gu tuinn,
Ann an eiric aon duine.
A gheilleachduinn do 'm aon chuinn,
No comhrag coig ciad,
Air maduinn am maireach.
Coig fichead fear mor
Chuir an comhrag ri m' fhear diubhalach
Amach am maireach
'S gu 'n sgarainn an ceann o 'n coluinn
Dh' Fhinn, agus Chonan, agus Chormaic."
" Leigibh mis' thuige," arsa Coiribhin,
" 'S gum buininn, an ceann deth."
" Na labhair thusa, Choirlbhin," arsa Fionn,
" 'S na tig air comhra co cli sin :
Cha chiosnaichear e gun fhoill.
Da thrian 's na bheil an Eirinn."
" Leigear mise g' a ionnsaidh," arsa Conan,
" 'S gam buininn fhin an ceann deth."
" Marbhasg ort, uisd thusa a Chonain mhaoil," arsa
Fionn,
'"S nach sguir thu d' lonan gu brath."
Ach sin 'nuair chaidh Conan
Lag, dona, meata, mi-cheillidh,
An an-toil do uile righ na Feinne
128 The Fians.
Mar char tuaitheal g' a aimh-leasadh ;
'S 'nuair chunnaic an laoch bu dealbhaich,
Conan dol an glaic armachd,
Rug e air a druill,
'S e teicheadh gu h-albhaidh.
Bu lionar sin a gheibht' ann,
Pluc agus garbh-mheall,
Glaodh agus iolach ard an ceann Chonain ;
'S na bu lugha e
Na fuaim tuinne ri traigh
'S feachd na Feinn'
Uile 'ga eisdeachd.
Chaidh air Conan maol gu deimhin
Na Coig chaoil fuidh 'n aon cheangal.
Sin mar chaidh sia fichead fear mor,
De mhaithibh teaghlaich is slbigh ;
'S thug e ruathar fir foruinn,
Mar sheabhag roi 'ealt mhin can.
Cho luath ri garbh roth muihnn
'S ioma cruth a chaochail greann
'S cuirp ath-chuimte le cruas lann,
'S ioma ceann 's leth chas
'S ioma claigionn thall 's a bhos
Coig ciad eile ged bhiodh ann,
Gu 'n tuiteadh sid air aon bhall,
'S Conn a' calcadh a sgiath
'G iarraidh comhraig 's gum b' an-iarr
'S gu 'n do leig an Fheinn gair chruaidh
Ri diochaidh a' mhbr shluaigh.
Gus na thuit leis na deich fichead fear mor
De mhaithibh teaghlaich is sloigh ;
Dh' innse dhuibhse eachdraidh,
Nach do ghabh an Fheinn riamh,
Leithid do dh' eagal roi aon-fhear.
Sin nuair labhair Fionn,
" Ghuill-ic-Morna nam mor ghniomh
C uim nach eireadh tusa, Ghuill,
Conn^ Son of the Red. 129
Fhir a chleachd ar cobhair riamh,
A mhiann sula gach baile
'S a laoich laidir na teug bhail
'S dana learn Conn a bhagradh ort
'S air Clanna Morna gu huile
'S nach tugadh tu 'n ceann deth gu fearail^
Mar rinn thu g' a athar roimhe."
" Dheanainn-sa sin duitse Fhinn
Fhir nam briathra blatha binn
S gur h-ann leat fhein a thuit
Clanna Morlum mughta ;
Ach fuath agus falachd chuir air chul
'S bitheamaid uile de dh' aon run,
Ged mhairbhte 'n Fheinn uile
Gu diochadh aon duine
Bhithinn fhin 's mo threin leat,
A righ na Feinne, g' ad chobhair."
Sin nuair chaidh
Cbig ciad againne 'na dhail
'S a bha Goll rompa ann an gras
Mar sheabhag air ealt air a meud,
Bu lionar sin a gheibht' ann,
Fear air leth-shuil 's air a laimh ;
S urrad eile ged bhiodh ann,
Gum faighteadh marbh mu thiomchioll-san iad^
Sin 'nuair bha Goll,
Dol a chur a' chbmhraig
Ghluais Goll 'na chulaidh chruaidK
Ann am fianuis a' mhbir shluaigh
Anns an uair sin,
Bu gheal 's bu dearg gnuis an fhir lorghuill,
Dol an tus na h-iorghuill
Fhalt chleachdach iubhar gharbh-shleibheach,
Gruaidh chorcur mar iubhar caoine,
Fuidh fhasga na mala chama-chaoile,
Sioladh ann an caolartaibh corrach,
Cuimhneachadh na mbr fholachd ;
9
130 The Fians.
'S chuir e sgiath bhucaideach,
Bhacaideach, bharra-chumhann,
Air a laimh chli ;
'S a shlacanta curanta,
Cruaidh chlaidheamh,
'Na laimh dheis.
Sin nuair thoisich an da laoch,
Bu dealbhaiche,
Chuireadh an talamh
Air bhalla-chrith ;
'Sgoltadh nan sgeana sgiath
'Sgoltadh nan sgiathan sgleo,
A' dbrtadh na fala moire,
O laimh imeachdaich a cheile.
Tri dithean gu 'n cuireadh iad dhiu,
Dith teine da 'n armaibh
'S dith cailce da 'n sgiathaibh,
'S dith fal' agus febla
Da 'n cneas agus da 'n cith-cholainn.
Gum b' e sin doibh-san,
Gus an thuit an traigh
'S an do chrom na nebil,
'S an d' thainig siochairean na beinne,
Ghabhail aighear agus ioghnaidh.
Aon latha diag agus tra
Gum bu tursach mic is mnai
Gus na thuit le Goll nam beuman
An sonn mor air cheart eiginn.
Gair eibhinn gu 'n d' rinn an Fhiann
Nach d' rinneadh leo roimhe riamh
Ri faicinn Ghuill chrodha an uachdar
Air Conn mbr mear uaibhreach
I
Note.
Choig chaoil, rendered five ties, are really the tying of the two
wrists {caol nan duirn), the small of the back {caol-drtitm), and the
two feet at the ankles {caol na coise), which would leave the person
so tied without the power of defence, or even running away.
THE MUILEARTACH.i
The story of the Osterling, or Eastern, Sea was pub-
lished in the Celtic Review, No. 2, 1881. It is here
given from its having always been looked upon as
closely connected with the history of the Fian band, and
also from its own merits. The name of the principal
character in this tale is pronounced indifferently, and by
the same reciters, MinreartacJi and MiiileartacJi, and is
construed by them sometimes as a masculine, but most
commonly as a feminine, noun. There is no difficulty
in deriving it from Muireartach, the Eastern Sea.
This tale has been selected as a fair specimen of tales
at one time common in the Western Islands and High-
lands of Scotland, and still to be occasionally fallen in
with. It relates, as almost all the popular tales of the
Scottish Celts do, to Ireland. Copies in print of the
1 The writer was under the impression, at first, that the word
Muileartach, the Osterling Sea, which the Fians encountered,
denoted the Western Sea, but further reflection upon the meaning
of the word satisfies him that, like the EngHsh word Osterhng, it
rather denotes the Eastern Sea. The invasions of the Norsemen,
both to Ireland and the Western Isles, were from the east, and it is
the Eastern Sea that is said to bring them. The points of the
compass are not very strictly looked to either at sea or on land,
the rising of the sun in the east and its setting in the west being
sufficient for ordinary purposes, and it was sufficiently known that
the Lochlin invaders had come from some place lying to the east,
also that Argyle, or Erra-ghaidheal, is the eastern part of the Celtic
world, lying as it does to the east of Ireland. The exact geo-
graphy of the Lochlin invaders is not known, but they came from
some place to the east of Scotland, whether north-east or due east
was not strictly inquired into.
9^
132 The Fians.
tale, or parts of it, are to be found in Campbell's West
Highland Tales, iii, 122 ; several versions in LeabJiar iia
Fcinue, by the same excellent collector ; and one in
Gillies' Collection. Of the version here given, Part I
has never appeared in print. It was written many years
ago from the dictation of Duncan M'Fadyen, Caolas,
Tiree, and has been compared with other oral versions ;
and Part II from Duncan Cameron, constable, Tiree, in
1871.
In the translation, " Fin-Mac-Coul" is adopted as a
better rendering of Fion Mac CuniJiail than the more
familiar and euphonious Fingal, a name which had its
origin with Macpherson. Similarly, " Fians" is adopted
for Feinne, a collective noun, and Fiantan, a plural noun,
instead of Fingalians or Fenians, names which have
other ideas now associated with them. "Fin-Mac-Coul"
has more of the ludicrous idea attached to it than
belongs to the Gaelic name. It is as old as Barbour,
who uses it in the poem of " The Bruce" {chxa 1380).
Historically, this tale is worthless, as it cannot be
accepted as a memento of, or in any way relating to, a
sea-fight between Norsemen and Celts. It is, however,
of considerable interest to the student of history, as
showing personification at work, and the manner in
which the creations of fancy harden into acceptance as
historical facts. The tale is a myth, in the true sense of
that word. Of the reciters, some believed it to record a
real, some a possible event — thus agreeing with Mr.
Campbell, who says ( West Highland Talcs, iii, 144), " I
suspect the poem was composed in remembrance of some
real invasion of Ireland by the sea-rovers of Lochlann
in which they got the worst of the fight, and that it has
been preserved traditionally in the Hebrides ever since."
The MiiilcartacJi (Eastern Sea), here personified, is
appropriately represented in the tale as the nurse or
foster-mother of Manus, King of Lochlin, who falls to
The MuileartacL
be identified with Magnus Barefoot, King of Norway.
That potentate is said in history to have made, towards
the end of the eleventh century, extensive conquests
along the north and west coasts of Scotland, and also in
Ireland. He was killed near Dublin, in 1103. The
epithets applied to the MiiileartacJi leave no doubt as to
the personification. The sea-rover is her foster-child.
She is ill-streaming {ml-shruth), abounding in seas {inuir-
-each), bald-red (inaol-ruadh), white-maned {iiniing-
fhionn). She has long streaming hair, and is finally
subdued by being let down into the ground to the waist,
the mode in which water is best subdued. She is also
represented as terrific {uamhannacJi), as having a roaring
wide open mouth {bha gdir '71 a craos), etc. Any one,
who has seen the sea in a storm, will understand the
appropriateness of the description. It is also to be
observed that, uniformly in popular lore, she is slain by
Fin-Mac-Coul himself, and not by the band of men of
whom he was leader. Fin was not the strongest of the
Feinne or Fian-band, but the solver of questions {fear-
fuasgladJi ceisd) and adviser. The blades of the Fians
passed as harmlessly through the body of the Miiileartach
as the knife through flame. Fin, who represents brain,
intellect, subdued her by letting her down into the
ground. Manus, who was acquainted with northern
seas, imagines, as the only way in which she could be
killed, (i) her being swallowed by a hole in the ground,
or (2) her being frozen over.
It is said that this was the first day on which the Fian
fair-play {cothrovi na Feinne) was broken. Previously it
was a law of the band to oppose only one to one ; but
this day. Fin told them to attack the Muileartach before
and behind {air a ciilthaobh 's air a benlthaobJi).
Another tale of popular lore relating to the Fian-band,
in which personification is unquestionably at work, is
that of CiuthacJi mac an Doill, whose name is but a slight
134 The Fians.
alteration from Ceathack, and means, " Mist, son of the
Blind Man." He came in from the sea to the cave in
which Diarmid and Graine had taken refuge, in a night
so stormy that Diarmid, the third best hero of the Fians,
would not on any account venture out of the cave.
In the whole of the Fian-lore there is much that
seems purely imaginative. And it is upon this supposi-
tion of personification that the localisation in so many
places of the Fian traditions, and their strange extrava-
gances, are best explained. The classical reader will
remember how Hercules, also a personification of bodily
strength, was found by the Romans in every place they
visited.
Upon this view — the supposition that the incident is
entirely the work of imagination — the ballad is interest-
ing and poetical. The Eastern Sea, in one of the
gloomier aspects which it frequently presents among
the Islands of Scotland, a bank of mist, a darkening
shower, a high tide, or a fierce gale, is converted by the
poet's fancy into an old woman who is the foster-mother
of the Pirate-King who infests the coast. A solitary
star twinkling through the darkening clouds, becomes
an eye glimmering in her gloomy forehead ; the agita-
tion of the sea, waves swept into spindrift or breaking
wildly on the rocks, the roaring of the waves, and the
Skerries covered with tangle, are readily converted into
her rocking motion, streaming hair, gloomy looks, pro-
jecting red teeth, and loud laughter. Following up the
idea, the superiority of the Norsemen at sea is repre-
sented by the old woman taking away the Cup of Vic-
tory, Betrayed into over-confidence, the Norse king
engages in battle on land and is defeated. This is
represented by the poet as an inroad of the Personified
Sea.
The explanation of the MtdlcartacJi is further
strengthened by the representation of an enclosure
The Muileartach. 135
having been made for the great fight, denoting the con-
fining of water within manageable limits, by the Muil-
eartacJi being called sgleb, a spectre, a film, a vapour, or
an indistinct appearance, and by her combating the
heroes like a flame.
At the same time, while there is much in the stories of
the Fians that can be explained as personifications and
poetical fancies ; there is much, such as the death of
Oscar, that appears as like real history and tradition as
anything to be found in authentic records.
For archaeological or other scientific purposes, it is
essential that ballads of this kind, and indeed everything
got from oral sources, should be presented to the reader
" uncooked", that is, without suppression or addition, or
alteration, which is not pointed out.
Part I.
The Fians were for keeping the kingdom from the
Lochlinners (i). Fin was their king. There was a battle
between them and Manus at Dun Kincorry in Ireland.
When Manus went home, his foster-mother (nurse), the
Muileartach, said that she would go to fight Fin, and to
take from him the " Cup of Victory" (2) — a vessel of clay,
of which it was said that it was by drinking from
it, the Fians were always victorious. Manus said he
would send men with her, but she refused. She
would take with her only her husband, the Ocean
Smith, and a loop of iron, called the Little Ridged
Crutch. She went at full speed to Dun Kincorry.
The Fians saw something big and monstrous coming ;
and Fin said, " If he has traversed the universe,
and gone round the world, it is Manus's foster-mother,
and she wants something particular." The Fians went
into the house and nine times nine of them put their
136 The Fians.
backs to the door, and put behind it nine chains inter-
lacing each other. (She pulled a tree, and swept ofif the
branches, and had it for a stick. The Ocean Smith
stayed at the boat. They put nine wooden bars behind
the door, and nine feet in stone and lime, and nine times
nine (3) put their backs to the door.)
Fin was looking out, and she came and spoke in a
low voice : —
She.
I am a poor, poor old woman.
That have come hotly pursued ;
I have travelled the five-fifths (4) of Ireland,
And found not a house to let me in.
Fin.
If you have travelled all that,
It is the mark of a bad man ;
And though your claw grow green beneath you,
You will not get an opening from me.
She.
That is an evil custom for a king's son.
Who ought to show heroism and great deeds ;
That you should be called a king's son,
And not give a night's lodgings to an old woman.
Fin.
If it be manners, or meat, or hospitality
You want, old woman !
I will send the meat of a hundred men.
And take away from me your talk, old woman !
She.
\ am not in need of your wretched meat.
Neither do I care for your great sadness ;
I would prefer the warmth of your great fire,
And partake with your dogs.
The Muileartach. 137
Fin.
Will you not kindle a fire for youself,
Where you can blow it with your breath ;
And put a load of fuel to your stout body,
[ Var. — Break down small branches against your hump]
And wisely warm yourself at it ?
SJie.
The six best heroes among the Fians,
Put you them out on the sward ;
And when the snow reaches their waist,
They cannot kindle a fire.
[ Var. — The nine nines who are within,
Between thatch and wattled-wall —
The snow would reach their waist-bands.
And they could not kindle a fire.]
The old woman of hardest conflict,
Gave a kick towards the door ;
And before she turned back the sole of her foot,
She broke the nine chains of iron from their inter-
lacings,
[And she threw the heroes on the breadth of their
backs on the floor.]
Fin avoided her ; and she went to the chest of jewels,
and took with her the " Cup of Victory".
The men arose —
Thinman (7) rose, and the rest rose.
And rose the plier of the oars, (8)
to go after the old woman.
They could not overtake her. Oscar, the strongest of
the Fians, went after her. He caught her by the foot at
the brow of the hill of Howth. Her grey hair was
hanging behind her, and Oscar caught it. He sprang,
138 The Fimis.
and put three plies of the grey wreathed hair of the old
woman about his fist. Before he in any way checked
her (lit., put a wrinkle in her), they sank to their waists
in snow. " Ho, ho," she said, " young man, you have
hurt me ! If it be food or drink you want, you will get
it when I reach the boat." [Var., reach the Ocean Smith
and you will get it. (9)] " It is not that I want, but to take
your grey hair to my grandfather." " Ho, ho, are you
one of that sort ?" She drew over her wreathed grey
hair below her left arm, and she laid her hand gently
upon him ; and he himself heard the noise of every bone
breaking in his body. "If you have strength to go
home, tell Fin that I have got the ' Cup of Victory'."
He returned, and she went to Lochlin. Manus re-
solved to fight Fin. He gathered his men, and went to
Dun Kincorry to fight Fin.
They met, and commenced at each other. All the
Lochlinners were killed, and the "Cup of Victory"
was recovered. Manus was bound, and put under oaths.
It was then that Conan said :
" Let me to Manus of the swords,
That I may separate his head from his body."
Manus then said :
" A little blow against thee, Fin,
I repent me of what I have done to you."
Variant. "
[Then when the old woman of great fury
Gave a kick to the door,
She broke the nine fastenings
Before her full speed was checked ;
And she entered the dwelling of Fin
And caught Fin's Cup in her crooked claw.
She leapt upon the red rushing water of the oars,
With Fin's Cup in her right hand.
Fin leapt quick, quick,
The Muileartach. 139
After the feet of the old woman,
And caught the Cup,
Since to him belonged its Virtue and Power.
Thinman, son of Roin, caught
His big sword and his two spears ;
And the active, youthful Oscar caught
The embroidered skirt that was round her body.
They took the apple from the wretch ;
And if they did it was not without a struggle :
And if her head was not put on another body.
Her soul never obtained mercy.
High was her place, and high her growth.
High were her sails for age (?), (10)
An iron crowbar under her.
And two teeth westward from her open mouth ;
Such a darksome old woman
Was not seen since the days of Cu-chullain.^] (11)
Part H.
He (Manus) went home bare and empty handed. His
fostermother asked for his men ; and he said they were
lost. " King !" she said, " that ever I gave the juice of my
side to you when you could not kill Fin, seeing he is only
a halfman" {i.e., one of the twins). (12) "I shall go now ;
and as many men as you have lost I shall take from the
Fians in twenty-four hours." " I shall raise", said Manus,
" my ships and go w^ith you." She would not hear of
this, but that the Smith should go with her. He was
good at telling stories, and would tell everything to
Manus, when they came home. The Smith was not
willing to go, though he had only heard of Fin ; but she
caught him, and threw him into the boat. They took
their sea journey. A little gentle breeze came after
them from the lower part of the hills and from the
^ See p. 137, stanza g.
140 The Fians.
heights of the trees, that would take foliage from a hill,
and willows from a tree, and little young rushes from
their base and roots. They began to throw the sea
aside, flashing, flapping, foaming, against the blackness of
the old stone, and the pitch-blackness of the boulder-
stones, the biggest beast eating the smallest beast, and
the smallest beast doing as best it could ; the little sea-
birds betaking themselves to rest and shelter in the wisp
of the main-mast. She (the boat) would cut the hard
slender stalks of oats with her very stem, for the great
excellency of her steersman. (13) " Look up," she said to
the Ocean Smith, " and try and see land." When he
looked all round about him, he saw land and said, "If
it be land it is small, and if it be a crow it is large."
" That is true, my good fellow," she said ; " we have not
the boat at its proper speed." They put out the small
broad-bladed, ridged oars, and every time they stretched
their backs they took in water over the gunwale of the
boat. For all the evils and tossings they got, they
reached land and drew up the boat above the beach
(lit., " in the top of the shore"), where the boys of the
town could not make sport or laughing-stock of it. She
bade the Ocean Smith go behind a hillock at the back
of the wind and in front of the sun, where he could see
everybody and nobody could see him. (14) He did this,
and she went on. Unfortunately, the Fians were sleep-
ing on their arms, and twenty-four of them were on
their breasts. She began to kill them with the iron
loop.
" She killed twenty-four of the Fians,
Alvinn himself foremost
Fell by the hand of the great Conflict,
Before the warriors came to close quarters."
Then commenced the Fians and the Carlin wife, and
were thrashing and slashing and working away at one
The Muileartach. 141
another. She was intercepting them like a flame down
and up. She was tall. Oscar asked to be sent himself
against her, and she was heavily buffeting him, and
driving him backwards, and Fin's courage fell. He told
them to take spades and cut below her, and drive her
backwards to get a chance of engaging and striking her.
They made a hole and drove her back, until she fell in.
She was still intercepting them like a flame ; but for all
the evils and tossings they got, they killed the old
woman before they stopped. It was then they raised
a battle-shout for joy ; and then twenty-four of the
Fians, who were in Corry Glen, when they heard it,
knew that some trouble had come on the Fians. They
rushed over, and one of them said to a companion,
" King ! wilt thou not thyself tell me how she was when
she was on her legs ?"
" I am not able to tell that to any but to one who saw
her."
Lay of the "Muileartach".
A day we were on Eastern hillock,
Looking on Erin all around.
There came upon us over a slimy heavy sea,
A spectre (15) heavy and not grey ;
Two teeth projecting westward from her gaping
mouth.
And four fathoms from around her lower part.
Twenty-four of the Fians,
And Alvin himself foremost.
Fell by the hand of the great Brawler
Before the people closed. (16)
Then spoke Goll,
The hero who was never behind :
" Let me towards her for a while,
That I may show her a feat of strength."
142 The Fiaiis.
The old woman was tearing at him and driving him
backwards ; and Fin lost courage at that time. It was
then that he ordered them to cut the earth below her
sole, and to let her to the place of her girdle into the
ground. She was intercepting us down and up like a
flame ; but for all the evils and tossings we got, it was
then we killed the old woman and raised the battle-
shout
When the Ocean Smith, who was behind the wind
and in front of the sun, heard that the Muikartach had
been slain, he put out to sea [here repeat the rhymes
descriptive of sea journeys] and reached Lochlin alone.
Manus met him, and asked where he had left the old
woman. " She has been killed," said the Ocean Smith.
" Wretch, she has not been killed ; but when you saw
the doughty deeds she was doing, you fled."
" Oh, she has been killed !"
" Hole of the earth has not swallowed her, nor has
she been drowned on brown slippery sea, and there were
not people in the universe who could kill my Miiil-
eariach."
" No one slew her but the Fians, the people who were
never overcome ; and never one has escaped from the
people of the yellow wreathed hair."
Thus the Old Woman finished her journey.
Variant of Part II.
A day the Fians were on an Eastern knoll (17)
Gazing at Erin all around,
There was seen coming over the waves
A hideous apparition — a heavily rocking
object. (18)
The name of the dauntless spectre
Was the bald-red, white-maned Muilcai'tacJi.
Her face was dark grey, of the hue of coals,
The Muileartach. 143
The teeth of her jaw were slanting red,
There was one flabby eye in her head,
That quicker moved than lure-pursuing mackerel.
Her head bristled dark and grey,
Like scrubwood before hoar frost.
When she saw the Fians of highest prowess,
The wretch coveted being in their midst.
At the outset of fury and slaughter,
She performed an over-keen, thankless deed ;
She slew in her frolic a hundred heroes,
While loud laughter was in her rough mouth.
*****
You will lose the forelock of your scrubby head,
In lieu of having asked for Oisian's goodly son.
■^ * ^ •Jit ■iifr
They offered her compensation, if she would turn back
the way she came. She would not take all the valuable
jewels in Ireland till she would get —
The heads of Oscar, Oisian, and Fin,
Goil, and Corral.
They made an enclosure for the great fight,
Lest the apparition on the field should change.
The four best heroes among the Fians,
She would combat them altogether,
And attend them each by turns.
Like the shimmering beam of a flame.
Mac-Coul of good fortune met
The wretch, hand to hand.
Her flank was exposed to the violence of the blows.
And there were drops of his blood on the heath tops.
The Muileartach fell by Fin,
If she did, it was not without strife ;
A trial like this he did not get
Since the day of Lon MacLioven's smithy,
144 T^'^^ Fians.
They lifted the Old Woman on the point of their
spears,
And tore her asunder in pieces.
The tale ran northwards
To the borders of Lochlin of many people ;
And the Smith went with its purport
To the palace of the High King.
" A mischief has been done," said the Ocean Smith,
" The red MuileartacJi (19) has been killed."
"If the porous earth has not swallowed her,
Or the broad bare sea drowned her.
Where were the people in the universe
Who could slay the white-maned MuileartacJi ?"
" The MuileartacJi fell by the Fians,
The company that never was touched with fear ;
Nor hatred or change comes
On the comely people of yellow wreathed hair."
" I will give words again,
If the smooth MuileartacJi has been killed.
That I will not leave in Fair Erin
Hillock, place of shelter, or island,
That I will not lift in the cross-trees of my ships,
Erin fairly-balanced, full weight ;
If it does not take to kicking at sea
When it is being lifted from its sea-walls,
I shall put crooked hooks into the land,
To draw it from its fastenings."
" Numerous are the shipmen, O Manus !
That could lift the fifth-part of Erin ;
And there are not as many ships on salt water
As would lift a fifth-part of Erin."
Eight and eight-score ships.
Were raised of forces, and they were numerous,
To raise the ransom of the MuileartacJi.
The Muileartach. 145
They went ashore at the harbour of the Hill of Howth.
The well-beloved Fergus, the son of Morna, went on a
message to them ; he offered them satisfactory indem-
nity (20) if they would return the way they came.
He offered them eight hundred banners
Beautifully coloured, and war-dresses ;
Eight hundred dogs on leashes (?) ; (21)
Eight hundred close searchers (?) ;
Eight hundred short-haired, red-cheeked men ;
Eight hundred helmets full of red gold,
Although they got that, they would not return till
they got
The head of Oscar, Oisian, and Fin,
Goll, and Corrall.
*****
"You will betake yourselves smartly across the sea.
Or remain to your hurt.
The biggest ships you have taken across the sea,
With winds hard blowing.
If there be as much blood in your bodies,
It will swim on your backs."
Then fought they the great day, and very great day —
the day of the battle of the Hill of Howth,
Where many a head was lowered.
And neck was rendered bare.
Not a single man escaped
But half a hundred men,
That went like the current of a stream seaward.
With the battle-shout driving them.
10
146 The Fians.
A' Mhuileartacii (A' Cheud Earann.)
Bha na Fiantan air son an rioghachd a chumail bho na
Lochlainnich (i). Bha Fionn 'na righ orra. Bha blar eatorra'
fhein agus Manus aig Dun-Chinn-a'-choire ann an Eirinn.
Dar a chaidh Manus dhachaidh, thuirt a mhuime, "A' Mhuil-
eartach", gu'n rachadh i thoirt blair do Fhionn agus gu'n
tugadh i uaithe an Corn-Buadhach (2), soitheach creadha, air
an robh e air 'f hagail, gur ann le deoch bl as a bha an Fheinn'
daonnan a' faotainn buaidh. Thuirt Manus gu'n cuireadh e
daoine leatha, ach dhiult i. Cha tugadh i leatha ach an duine
aice, Gobhainnnan Cuan, agus lub-iarruinn, ris an abradh iad,
an Trosdan beag, druimneach. Ghabh iad gu astar gu Dun-
Chinn-a' choire. Chunnaic an Fheinn' rud mbr duaitheil a
tighinn, agus thuirt Fionn, " Ma shiubhail e 'n domhan, agus
ma chuairtich e 'n saoghal, is i muime Mhanuis a th'ann, is
tha rud sonruichte a dhith oirre." Chaidh an Fheinn' a stigh
do'n tigh ; agus chuir naoi naoinear an druim ris an dorus,
agus chuir iad naoi slabhraidhean iarruinn an glacaibh a
cheile.
Spion i craobh agus sgrios i dhi na meanglain, agus bha i
aice 'na bata. Dh'fhuirich Gobhainn-nan-Cuan aig a' bhata.
Chuir iad naoi druill air an dorus, is naoi troidhean an cloich
's an aol, is chaidh naoi caogad (3) le an dromannaibh ris an
dorus.
Bha Fionn a' sealltuinn a niach, agus thainig ise, agus thuirt
i an guth losal —
Ise.
Is mise cailleach thruagh, thruagh,
'Thainig air a dian-ruaig ;
Shiubhail mi coig-choigeamh (4) na h-Ririnn,
'S cha d' fhuair mi tigh a leigeadh a stigh mi.
Fionn.
Ma shiubhail thusa sin gu h-uilidh (5)
'S comharra sin air droch dhuine ;
'S ged uainicheadh do spuir fodhad,
Uam-sa cha'n fhaigheadh tu fosgladh.
A' Mhuileartach. 147
Ise.
'S olc an cleachdadh sin do mhac righ,
Do'm bu dual gaisg' agus mor-ghniomh ;
Mac righ 'ga radhainn riut,
'S nach tugadh tu cuid oidhche do chaillich.
Fionn.
Ma 'se modh, no biatachd, no fialachd,
'Tha dhith ort, a chailleach !
Cuiridh mise thugad biadh cheud fear,
'S tog dhiom do sheanchas, a chailleach !
Ise,
Cha'n'eil mise 'm feum do bhidh bhochd,
'S cha mho a's aill leam do mhbr sprochd ;
B'fhearr leam a bhith am blath's do theine mhbir,
'S a bhith an comith ri do choriaibh.
Fionn.
Nach fhadaidh thusa teine dhuit fein,
Far an seid thu e le t' anail ?
'S cuir cual chonnaidh ri d' gharbh-chneas,
[ Var. — Pronn geugan beaga ri do chruit]
'S dean gu crionna ris do gharadh.
Ise.
An t-seisear laoch a 's fhearr 'san Fheinn'
Faic thusa air an raon a mach iad ;
'S 'nuair ruigeas an sneachd an crios doibh,
Cha 'n urrainn iad teine f hadadh.
[ Var. — An naoi naoinear 'ga bheil a stigh
Eadar an tugha 's an fhraigh ;
Ruigeadh an sneachd dhoibh an crios,
'S cha rachadh leo teine fhadadh.]
Thug a' chailleach, 'bu chruaidh cbmhrag,
Breab a dh'ionnsaidh na comhla ;
10^
148 The Fiaiis.
'S mu'n d'thill i bun-dubh (6) a coise,
Bhiist i na naoi slabhraidhean iarruinn a glacaibh a
cheile [agus thilg i na laoich air an druim-direach
air an urlar].
Sheachainn Fionn an rathad oirre ; is ghal)h ise gu cisde nan
send, agus thug i leatha an Corn-Buadhach.
Dh'eirich na daoine,
Dh cirich Caoilt' (7) is dh'eirich each ;
'S dh'eirich fear-iomairt nan ramh, (8)
A dli'fhalbh an deigh na caiUich.
Cha b' urrainn doibh breth oirre. Chaidh Oscar, am fear
'bu laidire do'n Fheinn' as a deigh. Rug e oirre air chois aig
uchd Beinn-Eadainn.^ Bha 'fait hath a' slaodadh rithe, agus
rug Oscar air. Thug e diii'-leum, agus chuir e tri duail do
flialt cas, hath na caillich m'a dhorn. Mu'n tug e sreamadla
aisde, cliaidh iad fodha gu 'm meadhon an sneachda, " Ud !
ud ! a laochain !" ars' ise, "ghortaich thu mi. Ma 's e biadh
no deoch a tha dhith ort, gheibh thu e 'nuair a ruigeas mise
an iubhrach." [Ruig Gobhainn-nan-Cuan 's gheibh thu e. (9)]
" Cha'n e sin a tha dhith orm, ach t'fhalt liath a thoirt a
dh'ionnsaidh mo sheanair." " Ho ! ho ! an ann diubh sin thu ?"
Tharruing i nail a fait cas, liath, o 'gairdean toisgeil, agus
leag i a lamh gu h-eutrom air, agus chual e fhein fuaim a
h-uile cnaimh.
" Ma tha spionnadh agad a dhol dachaidh, innis do Fhionn
gu bheil an Corn-Buadhach agam-sa."
Thill e, agus chaidh ise do Lochlainn. Chuir Manus roimhe
blar a thoirt do Fhionn. Chruinnich e a dhaoine, agus chaidh
e gu Dun-Chinn-a'-choire a thoirt blair do Fhionn.
Choinnich iad, agus thoisich iad air a cheile. Bha na Loch-
lainnich uile air am marbhadh, agus bha an Corn-Buadhach
air 'fliaotainn air 'ais. Chaidh Manus a cheangal,-agus chaidh
mionnan a chur air. 'S ann an sin a thuirt Conan —
" A leigeil gu Manus nan lann
'S gu'n sgaradh e 'cheann o 'chorp."
Beina-Eadair (The Hill of Howth, near Dublin).
A' Mkuileartach, 149
Thuirt Manus an sin —
" Buille bheag a' t' aghaidh, Fhinn,
'S aithreach learn na rinn mi ort."
[Sin dar a thug a' Ciiailleach bu mhbr fearg
Breab o dh'ionnsuidh na cbmhla,
'S bhrist i na naoi ceanglaichean a sios
Mu'n deachaidh stad air a teann-ruith ;
'S chaidh i stigh do mhur Fhinn,
'S rug i air cuach Fhinn 'na croma chroig.
Leum i air eas ruadh nan ramh,
'S cuach Fhinn 'na deas laimh.
Leum Fionn gu cas, cas,
An deigh chas na CailHch
'S rug e air a' chuaich
O'n 's ann leis 'bha 'buaidh 's a brigh.
Rug Caoilte Mac Rbin
Air a chlaidheamh mbr 's a dha shleagh ;
'S rug an t-Oscar meamnach bg
Air an leine shrbil a bha mu cneas.
Thug iad an t-ubhal o'n bheist ;
'S ma thug cha b' ann gun streup ;
'S mar deachaidh an ceann air coluinn eile,
Cha d'fhuair a h-anam riamh trbcair,
B' ard a h-ionad, 's b' ard a fas,
B' ard a cuid siiiil ri h-aois, (10)
Geamhlag iaruinn fo 'mas,
'S da fhiacail siar o 'craos ;
Leithid na ciaraig chailhch,
Cha'n fliacas o Hnn ChuchuUin]. (11)
Chaidh e (Manus) dhachaidh lom, falamh. Dh'f hoighneachd a
mhuime air son a dhaoine, agus thuirt e gu'n robh iad air an call.
" A righ !" ars' ise " gu'n tug mi riamh sugh mo thaoibh
dhuit, is nach rachadh agad fhein air Fionn a mharbhadh, 's
gun ann ach leth-dhuine. (12) Bithidh mise nis' a' falbh,
agus uiread 's a chaill tliusa bheir mise as an Fheinn' an
ceithir uairibh fichead."
150 The Finns.
"Togaidh mise," arsa Manus, "mo chuid loingeis, agus
theid mi leat." Cha chluinneadh i so, ach an Gobhainn a
dhol leatha. Bha esan math gu naigheachdan innseadh, agus
dh'innseadh e do Mhanus a h-uile ni dar a thigeadh iad air
an ais. Cha robhan Gobhainn toileach falbh, ged nach d'rinn
e ach cluintinn mu Fhionn ; ach rug ise air, agus thilg i e anns
a' bhata. Ghabh iad an turus-cuain. Thainig soirbheas beag
ciiiin as an deigh o isle nam beann, is o airde nan craobh, a
bheireadh duilleach a beinn is seileach a craoibh, agus luachair
bheag, og, as a bun agus as a freumhach. Thbisich iad air
tilgeadh na fairge fiolcanaich, falcanaich, fualcanaich, air
dubha a sean-chloich, 's air piceadh a sonna chloich, a'
bheisd 'bu mho 'g itheadh na beisd 'bu lugha, 's a bheisd 'bu
lugha a' deanamh mar a dh'fhaodadh i. Callaga beaga a'
chuain a' gabhail fail agus fasgaidh ann an sop a' chroinn-
mhoir aice. Ghearradh i 'n coinnlein caol, cruaidh, coirce,
roimh a dubh-thoiseach, aig ro fheabhas a stiuramaiche. (13)
' Seall suas," ars' ise, ri Gobhainn-nan-Cuan, " is feuch am faic
thu am fearann." 'Nuair a sheall esan thuige is uaithe,
chunnaic e fearann is thuirt e, " Ma's fearann e, is beag e, agus
ma's feannag e, 's mor e." " Is fior sin, a laochain," ars'
ise, " cha'n'eil an iiibhrach aig astar ceart leinn."
Chuir iad a mach na raimh bheaga, bhaisgeanta, dhruimn-
each ; 's cha robh sjneadh a bheireadh iad air an druim, nach
tugadh iad uisge stigh air beul-mbr a bhata. H-uile uilc no
urbhaidhe 'gan d'fhuair iad, rainig iad tir ; is tharruing iad an
iubhrach am braighe a' chladaich, far nach deanadh macan a'
bhaile-mhbir buird no magadh oirre.
Dh'orduich ise do Ghobhainn-nanCuan dol air cnocan, air
cul gaoithe 's air aodann greine, far am faiceadh e a h-uile
duine, 's nach faiceadh duine idir e. (14) Rinn e sin, is
chaidh ise air a h-aghaidh. Gu mi-fhortanach, bha na Fiantan
'nan codal air an cuid arm, agus bha ceithir-ar-fhichead dhiubh
air an uchd. Thbisich i air am marbhadh leis an lub iarruinn.
Mharbh i—
"Ceithir-ar-fhichead de'n Fheinn',
'S Ailbhinn fcin air thus,
A' Mhinleartach. 151
Thuit air laimh na h-Iorghuil mhbir,
Mu'n deachaidh na sebid 'nan dliith's."
An sin thbisich na Fiantan is a' chailleach, 's bha iad 'a
sliocartaich, 's a' slacartaich, 's a' gabhail d'a cheile. Bha i
'gan ceapadh mar lasair shios is shuas. Bha i ard. An sin
dh'iarr Oscar e bhith air a chur 'na h-aghaidh, e fein ; 's bha i
'ga throm-habadh, 's 'ga iomain an comhair a chuil ; agus
ghabh Fionn lag-mhisneach. Dh'iarr e orra spaidean a
ghabhail is iad a ghearradh foidhpe 's a cur air a h-ais, gus am
faigheadh iad cothrom iomain no bualaidh oirre. Rinn iad
toll, agus dh'iomain iad air a h-ais i gus an deachaidh i ann.
Bha i fhathast 'gan ceapadh mar lasair, ach na h-uile h-uilc no
h-urbhaidhe 'gan d'fliuair iad, mharbh iad a' chailleach mu'n
do stad iad. Thog iad an sin gaoir-chatha le toilinntinn ;
agus an sin ceithir-ar-fhichead do na Fiantan a bha an Coire-
Ghlinne, 'nuair a chual iad e, bha fhios aca gu'n robh fargradh
air teachd air an Fheinn'. Ruith iad a null, is thuirt fear
dhiubh ri 'chompanach : — " A righ fliein ! nach innseadh tu
dhomh ciamar a bha i 'nuair a bha i air a casan ?" " Cha'n'eil
mise an urrainn sin innseadh ach do neach a bha 'ga faicinn."
['S e so an t-aite ceart air son Duan na Muileartaich aithris.]
Latha dhuinn air tulaich shoir, (17)
'Sealltainn Eirinn mu'n cuairt ;
Thainig oirnn bharr muir sleamhain trom,
Atharnach (15) trom, neb-ghlas.
Da fhiacail seachad siar air a craos,
'S ceithir aimhlean 'na mas :
Ceithir-ar-fhichead de'n Fheinn',
'S Ailbhinn fein air thus,
'Thuit air laimh na h-Iorghuil mhbir,
Mu'n deachaidh na slbigh an dluth's. (16)
Sin 'nuair a labhair Goll,
An sonn nach robh riamh 'sa chiiil :
" Leigibh mi 'ga h-ionnsuidh greis,
'S gu feuchainn ri cleas lugh's."
Bha a' chailleach 'ga riabadh, 's 'ga iomain an coinneamh a
1 5 2 The Fians.
chuil. Agus ghabh Fionn lag-mhisneach an uair sin. Sin an
uair a dh'orduich e an talamh a ghearradh o 'bonn, 's a
leigeadh gu ionad a crios 'san lar. Bha i 'gar ceapadh shios is
shuas mar lasair ; 's na h-uile h-uilc no h-urbhaidhe 'gan
d'fhuair sinn, sin dar a mharbh sinn a' chailleach, 's thug sinn
an gaoir-chatha asainn.
Dar a chual Gobhainnnan-Cuan, a bha air cul gaoithe 's ri
aodunn greine gu'n do mharbhadh a' Mhuileartach, ghabh e
mach gu cuan. [Rann mu thurus-cuain.] Rainig e Lochlainn
leis fhein : choinnich ]\Ianus e, agus dh'flioighneachd e dheth,
c'ait' an d'fhag e a' chailleach. "Mharbhadh i," thuirt Gobh-
ainn-nan-Cuan.
" O bheisd ! cha do mharbhadh ; ach dar a chunnaic thusa
eaghnadh a bha i deanamh, theich thu."
"O! mharbhadh i."
" Cha do shluig an talamh-toll i, 's cha do bhathadh i air
muir sleamhuin lom, 's cha robh do shluagh air an domhan na
mharbhadh mo Mhuileartach."
" Cha do mharbh i ach an Fheinn',
An dream air nach do tharladh buaidh ;
'S aon riamh cha deach' as
Air an dream fhalt-bhuidhe chas."
Mar sin chriochnaich a' chailleach a turus.
An dara Earrann.
Latha do'n Fheinn air tulaich shoir (17)
Ag amharc Eirinn m'a timchioll,
Chunncas a' teachd bharr thonn,
Arrachd eitidh, creadhall, trom.
'S gu'm b'e b'ainm do'n fhuath nach robh tiom, (18)
A' Mhuileartach mhaol, ruadli, mhuing-fhionn.
Bha 'h-aodann dubh-ghlas air dhreach guail,
Bha deud a carbaid claon-ruadh,
Bha aon shuil ghlogach 'na ceann,
'S gu'm bu luaith' i na rionnach madhair ;
Bha greann glas-dhubh air a ceann,
Mar choille chrionaich roimh chrith-reotha ;
A' MJmileartacIi. 153
Ri faicinn na Feinne bu mhbr goil,
Shanntaich a' bheist a bhith 'nan innis,
An toiseach mire agus air,
Rinneadh leatha gion gun chomain ;
Mharbh i le 'h-abhachd ceud laoch,
'S a gaire 'na garbh chraos.
CailUdh tu dosan do chinn chrionaich
Air son deagh mhac Oisein iarraidh.
Thairg iad dhi cumha, 's i thilleadh an taobh a thainig i. Cha
ghabhadh i sid na bha sheudaibh buadhach an Eirinn gus am
faigheadh i —
Ceann Oscair, Oisein, is Fhinn,
Ghoill, agus Choirill.
*****
Rinn iad crb air son a' chatha mhoir
Mu'n atharraichte air faiche na sgleo,
A' cheathrar laoch a b'fhearr 'san Fheinn
Gu'n cbmhraigeadh i iad gu leir ;
'S fhrithealadh i iad mu seach,
. Mar ghath rionna na lasrach.
Thachair Mac-Cumhail an aigh
Is a' bheist laimh ri laimh ;
Bha 'taobh-choUuinn ri gain bualaidh,
'S bha braon d'a fhuil air na fraochaibh.
Thuit a' Mhuileartach le Fionn ;
Ma thuit cha b'ann gun strith ;
Deuchainn cha d' fhuair e mar sin,
O latha ceardaich Lon-'ic-Liobhainn.
Thog iad a' chailleach air bharraibh an sleagh,
'S thug iad 'na mireanaibh as a cheil' i.
Ruith an naigheachd ud mu thuath,
Gu crioch Lochlainn nam mbr-shluagh ;
'S chaidh an Gobhainn leis a' bhrigh,
Gu teach aobhair an Ard-Righ.
" Rinneadh beud", deir Gobhainn-nan-Cuan
154 The Fians.
" Mharbhadh a' Mhuileartach ruadh ?"
" Mur do shluig an talamh-toll i,
No mur do bhath muir leathan lorn i,
C'ait' an robh do dhaoin' air domhan,
Na mharbhadh a' Mhuileartach mhuing-fliionn?"
" Thuit a' Mhuileartach leis an Fhiann,
A' bhuidheann leis nach gabh-te fiamh.
Cha tig fuath no atharrach as,
Air an t-sluagh aluinn, fhalt-bhuidhe, chas."
" Bheiream-sa briathra a ris,
Ma mharbhadh a' Mhuileartach mhin,
Nach fag mi'n Eirinn aigh
Tom, innis, no eilean,
Nach tog mi ann an crannagaibh nio long,
Eirinn coranta, cothromach \
Mar deanadh i breabanaich air muir,
'Ga togail as a tonnabhalla,
Crocain chroma ri tir,
'Ga tarruing as a tadhaibh."
" Is mor an luchd loingeis, a Mhanuis,
'Thogadh cbigeamh a dh'Eirinn,
'S cha'n'eil do loingeis air saile,
Na thogadh cbigeamh a dh'Eirinn."
Ochd agus ochd fichead long
Thogadar a dh'fheachd 's bu trom,
Thoirt a mach eirig a' Mhuileartaich. (19)
Chaidh iad air tir an cala Beinn-Eadainn.i Chaidh Fear-
ghus muirneach mac Moirne air theachdaireachd gan ionn-
suidh ; thairg e dhoibh cumha gun fheall, 's iad a thilleadh an
taobh a thainig iad.
Thairg e dhoibh ochd ciad bratach, (20)
Caoin-daithte, agus luireach ;
Beinn-Eadair.
A' Mhuileartach. 155
Ochd ciad conair mheangain ; (21)
Ochd ciad mion do ionndrainn ;
Ochd ciad gearr-fhaltach, gruaidh-dhearg ;
Ochd ciad Ian clogaid d'en or dhearg ;
Ged gheibheadh iad sin, cha tilleadh iad gus am faigheadh
iad —
Ceann Oscair, Oisein, 's Fhinn,
Ghoil, agus Choirill.
" Gearraidh sibh 'ur teann-leum thar mu'r,
Ar neb fanaidh sibh ri'r n-aimhleas ;
An long a 's mb a thug sibh thar muir,
Le goinealadh,
Ma tha a dh'fhuil 'n'ur collainnibh,
Snamhaidh i air 'ur dromannaibh.'"
Sin 'nuair a thug iad an latha mbr agus ro-mhbr —
Latha catha Beinn-Eadainn,
Far am bu lionar ceann 'ga chromadh,
Agus muineal 'ga mhaoladh.
Cha deachaidh aon riamh as,
Ach leth-chiad fear,
'Chaidh mar thriall srutha gu sail',
'S gaoir-chatha 'gan iomain.
Notes.
(i) Reciters are not agreed as to this being the purpose for
which the Fians were. Some (and this is the most rational of the
realistic explanations) say they were a body of hunters that fol-
lowed the chase both in Ireland and Scotland. As to their having
a separate kingdom, tradition makes no mention.
(2) More correctly " Cup of Virtues", or precious cup.
(3) Ca(7»-(;?^ is explained in dictionaries as meaning fifty. It was
explained by the person from whom this portion within brackets
was heard, that the number who put their backs to the door was
nine times nine ; and there are other confirmations of an explana-
156 The Finns.
tion heard from an old man, that caogad was used to signify nine
days or times.
(4) In the twelfth century, Ireland was divided into five king-
doms— Ulster {Cbige-tdai7i)i)^ Leinster (Cbige-Laigliitin)^ Meith
{M)th)^ Connaught {Conach), and Munster {Cbii^e-Muinha). The
rulers of these divisions were styled kings ; and over all was the
one called the " High King of Ireland", Ard ttgh Eirinn. Cairbre
who slew Oscar, was one of these ; and Fin's own genealogy is
traced up to the same royal line.
(5) The common form is tdle^ but the various reciters said
iiilidli. This may have baen merely the attraction of the emphasis.
At all events, not much weight is to be placed upon the peculiarity.
(6) The usual phrase is bonn-diibh, "the black sole," which is
explained to be the heel.
(7) Caoilte (Thinman) was called Daorghlas (Thorough-grey)
till the day when the swords of the Fian chiefs were made in the
magic smithy of Lon MacLiovun, of which there is an account in
a separate ballad.
(8) This expression is noticeable, as a reference to its being a
sea-fight. There does not seem to have been any one in particular
of the Fian band to whom this post was assigned.
(9) This sentence, and the others within brackets, are from other
oral versions.
(10) The meaning of the word age [aois) is not evident.
(11) In tradition, Cuchulin is not mentioned in connection with
the Fians. The lays about himself or his chariot are different from
anything to be found in Macpherson.
(12) Fin's mother was the daughter of the Ulster smith (.4/;
gobhaimi Uliach), and the ugliest woman in all Ireland. His twin
sister was Diarmid's mother.
(13) Stiuramaiclie^ in the Hebrides, denotes the steersman
of a particular boat, stiuradair a steersman generally.
(14) Rhymes or "runs" {ruitlieannan)^ such as this and those
preceding, in the description of the sea-journey, are common in
Gaelic tales, and are made use of by the reciter on every suitable
occasion. They are more or less full, according to the skill of the
reciter.
(15) This word and Arracht, which is used by other reciters, is
most probably from a'/uir (the air), and merely denotes an aerial
phenomenon.
(16) This is a piece taken unconsciously by the reciter from
another Fian ballad, called Ailvinn or lorghuin.
A' MImilcartach. 157
(17) In various printed versions of the tale, this hillock is called
tiilaich oirill^ which may be correct.
(18) The meaning of this line is not very clear ; and it is a
mere matter of inference from the sound and collocation of the
letters, that they denote some monstrous, lumbering, heavy-moving
object, rocking from side to side.
(19) This word, like some others, is conventionally used both in
a masculine and feminine form.
(20^ Other versions, such as that given by Mr. Campbell in his
West Ht'ghland Tales, vol. iii, 135, make the indemnity ten hun-
dred instead of eight hundred of each article. They all agree
in making fine-coloured flags, and dogs, and gold, part of the
ransom.
(21) Cottair mheangaiii is most probably coin air mheaiK^ain
(dogs on branches), i.e., on withes, or leashes, a most valuable
ransom in the days of the Irish wolf-hounds and stag-hounds. In
the Long Island, among the Roman Catholic population, a rosary
is called Conair Mhoire, the beads of S. Mary. Meangain is the
designation of a certain kind of heather {/raoch meangaiii), and
universally in the Highlands meaiigan means a branch, so that the
expression may denote some kind of bead. In early times, before
the days of coinage, and to the present day among savage tribes,
beads were and are valuable as a circulating medium, and as
personal ornaments.
In regard to " close" searchers, the existence oi fiotidniine as a
name of a metal renders it highly probable that a tribute of it was
here meant. The reciter did not know the meaning of the words,
though, as in other instances of popular recitation, the sound of
the correct words is retained.
In the Island of Tiree, pins or small skewers — of some compo-
site metal resembling bronze — about three inches in length, are
occasionally found. They are called by the natives, Prhiejionn-
drainn.
The " close'' searchers may be the smaller dogs.
The short-haired men are doubtlessly slaves or bondsmen, long
hair being much affected by Chiefs.
With our explanation, in our introductory remarks, of this tale
as a myth, descriptive of a contest between the Sea violently
invading the Land, and Human Might, may be compared an
anecdote frequently met with, also further illustrative of the popular
158 The Fians.
view of the Fians as the representatives of bodily strength. One
of the Fians (^aoti de'n FJieiini)^ looking at the sea breaking in
foam, was told that it was laughing at him. He was for rushing
out to chastise it.
The idea of personification is, however, entirely lost sight of by
reciters, and it belongs to the poet's skill that, while his words are
singularly descriptive of the angry Sea, such should be the case.
The lines enclosed within brackets (pp. 138-39), written down in
1870, from the dictation of James Cameron, a native of Morven
resident in Coll, are illustrative of this, and of the manner in which
modern ideas become involved with old tradition.
THE LAY OF THE SMITHY.
(DUAN NA CeARDACH.)
The following version of the Lay of the Smithy was
taken down at Portree, Skye, from Angus MacVurrich,
or MacPherson, in October 1871, and is here given as
of value to the antiquary in tracing the story of the
Cyclops and Polyphemus. It would show that the
story may be as old as the dispersion of the human
race. The Celts, in taking the story to the extreme
west of Europe, and its being found in Greece and Rome,
would indicate its early origin. The Cyclops, who
framed the thunderbolts of Jupiter, and the one-eyed
Polyphemus in his cave, may be but variants of the
same story. Allusion to the one-eyed giant, whose
dwelling was in a cave, and whose eye was pierced by
the roasting-iron, is to be found in many other Gaelic
stories ; and when the incident of a story is said to be
remote in time, or place, no question as to its truth is
thought of The smith having only one leg, and having
a smithy, would lead to his identification with Vulcan,
the god of smiths, who was lamed in his fall from
heaven. At all events, the story seems older than Rome,
or Athens, or even Troy.
A day that we were at Luachair Leathan,
Like five grouped, was our company ;
Myself, Oscar, and Derglas,
Lon MacLevan, and MacCumal himself.
There was seen coming from the hill
A long, dark man, upon one leg.
i6o The Fians.
In a mantle of dark ^■((ty skin,
And an apron of the same clothing.
Fionn spoke, as he stood,
To the fellow who was passing :
" Where, smith, is your dwelling.
Or, man with the skin covering?"
" If your supposition is correct,
Lon MacLevan was my baptismal name ;
I was a while at smith work
With the King of Lochlin in Gilvin."
" Where, smith, is your smithy,
Or will we be the better of seeingf it?"
" If I can you will not be the better,
But if you will be the better, see it.
" I lay you under spells.
Since you are ambitions of seeing (?) my smithy,
To be in a dark, dark grey, sickly glen.
To-night westward from the doors of my smithy."
They then began to hasten,
Until they formed five companies :
One company of these was the smith,
And another company was Derglas.
Another company was Derg, son of Druin
(Red the Druid's son ?),
Fionn was after them, alone.
The smith would take only one step
Over every dark grey, desert glen,
And they could not see, but with difficulty,
A piece of his raiment over his haunches.
" Open, open,'^ said the smith.
" Force it before you," said Derglas.
" I would not leave you in the door of my smithy,
In a dangerous place alone."
The Lay of the Sinithy. i6i
They found then bellows to blow,
And they found there, hardly a smithy,
Four hands on every smith.
Hammers striking, and smithy tongs.
And the fairy hammers that answered them.
Truly better would Derglas answer.
Derglas, the cleaner of the smithy,
Since he was wont to be standing,
And redder than the ember of the oak
Was his appearance from his labour.
Then one of the smiths spoke,
Grimly and gruffly,
" Whence came the thinman, unintimidated,
Who has spoiled for us our steel anvil ?"
Latha dhuinn air Luachair Leathan,
Mar choigear chrodh-fhionn de bhuidhean
Mi fhin, is Oscar, is Daor-ghlas
Lon Mac Liobhunn 's bha Mac Cumhail,
Chunncas a 'tighinn o 'n mhonadh,
Fear fada du 's e air aona chois
Le a mhuntal ciar, dhu craicinn
Aparan de 'n eididh chiadn' air.
Labhair Fionn, 's e 'na sheasamh,
Ris an urra bha dol seachad
" C ait a ghobha bheil do thuineadh
No fhir ad a chochaill chraicinn ?"
" Ma tha agaibh orm beachd sgeula
Lon Mac Liobhunn b' e m' ainm baist' e,
Bha mi treis ri uallach gobhain
Aig righ Lochlin anns a 'Gheilbhinn."
" C ait, a ghobha, bheil do cheardach ?
No 'n fhearrda sinn dhol g' a faicinn ?"
" Ma, dh' fheudas mise cha 'n fhearrd' sibh,
'S ma 's fhearrd sibhse faicibh.
II
1 62 The Fians.
"Tha mise 'g 'ur cuir fo gheasaibh
O' n a 's sibh luchd leasgairt mo cheardach,
Bhi 'n gleannan du ciar du, dochard
Nochd siar o dhorsaibh mo cheardach."
Thbisich iad an sin ri siubhal
Gus an deach iad 'nan cbig buidheann,
Bu bhuidheann dhiubh sin an Gobhain,
Bu bhuidheann eile dhiu Daor-ghlas,
'S bu bhuidheann eile dhiu Dearg Mac Druidhean
Bha Fionn 'nan deigh 's e 'na aonar.
'S cha ghearra an gobha ach aona cheum
Air gach gleannan ciar dhu fasaich,
'S cha 'n fhaiceadh iad ach air eiginn
Sgbd dheth eididh air a mhasun.
"Fosgail, fosgail," ars' an gobhain,
" Bruid romhad e," ars' Daor-ghlas.
" Cha 'n fhagainn thu 'n dorus mo cheardach
'N aite gabhaidh 's tu 'nad aonar."
Fhuair iad an sin builg ri sheideadh,
'S gu 'n d' fhuair iad ann eiginn ceardach
Ceithir lamhan air gach gobhain
Uird a 'lughadh is teanchaire
'S na h-uird shith bha 'ga freagairt
'S beachd fearr a fhreagradh Daor-ghlas.
Daor-ghlas fear glanadh na ceardach,
O b' abhaist da bhi 'na sheasamh
'S bu deirg e na gual an daraich
A shnuadh o thoradh na h-oibreach.
Sin labhair fear dheth na goibhnean
Gu grhneach 's gu gruamach
" Co as thainig Caoilte gun tioma
Mhiil oirn an t-innean cruadhach."
Sorrowful am I after Thinman {Caoilte),
Since my contemporaries are not alive.
The Lay of the Smithy. 163
I am filled with sadness, agony, and pain
At parting with my foster-brother,
Thinman iCaoilte), my true foster-brother^
With whom I could win victory and banner ;
Thinman {Caoilte), my perfect fellow- warrior,
And a relief to the Fians in time of need.
He was not Chief of us all.
But the merciful High King.
Have you heard of Fionn's journey
From the side of the big city that was in Ireland ?
The great Cairbre,
Greedy, loud-speaking,
Seized Ireland
Under one rule.
They sent word for us
To Tara,
From Imradack to the battle of Gavra.
They did a deed worse than that,
To be wanting the lordship over us.
We answered the grim champion.
As many of us of all ages as were there.
There were not of the Fians altogether
As many as would satisfy them.
Fifteen hundred and good horsemen
We were, on the white customary way.
We got honour and respect.
Is muladach mi 'n deigh Chaoilte,
Nach mairionn luchd mo chon-traonaidh,
Lion mulad mi, cradh, is goirteas,
'N am sgarachduinn dhomh ri m' cho-dhalta
Caoilt mo cho-dhalta ceart
Leis an iomarainn buaidh is brat.
^ True foster-brother, i.e., born at the same time, and brought
up under the same tuition.
II 2
164 The Flans.
Caoilte mo leir chuir-chatha,
'S am furtach do 'n Fheinn sa latha
Cha b' e bu cheannard oirnn uile
Ach Ard Righ na trbcaireach.
An cuala sibhse turus Fhinn,
Mach a slios a 'bhaile mhoir bha 'n Eirinn
An Cairbreach mbr
Lonach, labhrach
Ghlacadh leis Eirinn
Euidh 'n aon smachd
Chuir iad fios oirnne
Gu Teamhraidh
O lomradach gu cath Chabhruinn.
Rinn iad gniomh bu duilleadh na sin
A bhi 'n ti air ar tighearnas.
Fhreagair sinn an cuireadh dbbhaidh
Gach linn uile mar a bha sinn.
Cha robh ann do 'n Fheinn uile
Na dh' fhagadh iadsan co buidheach,
Coig ceud deug agus deagh mharcaiche
Bha sinn air an rathad gle-gheal cleachdach.
Fhuair sinn onoir is miadh.
The foregoing fragmentary pieces are given as they
were taken down from a very estimable man in 1871.
The first ten lines are probably part of a lament for
Thinman {Caoilte), a contemporary of the poet, and the
rest is of value to those interested in the question of the
real existence of the Fians, as showing that there was
more than one poem or lay in circulation about the death
of Oscar and the battle of Gavra {Catli Gabhra) ; also as
showing, if not explaining, some of the obscurities in the
lay or poem given of the battle of Gavra. It confirms
the statement that Cairbre was a strong, big man, per-
sonally greedy, and ambitious in mind ; that Tara's
Hall was the residence of the High King of Ireland ;
and that the residence of the leader of the Fians was in
a different place.
BRUGH FARALA.
When the Fians were for some time without any word
of the chase, and the women still kept their good looks,
while the men were becoming meagre and ill-looking,
on going in pursuit of the chase the Fians left big Garry,
the son of Morna, behind them, to endeavour to find out
what secret means of nourishment the women had. He
found that they lived on the leaves of trees, the roots of
heather, and tops of hazel {duillicJi nan craobJi, bnn an
fhyaoich ; some say biui na rainicJi, the roots of brackens,
ferns ; 's barr na calltuimi). While waiting and watch-
ing, Garry fell asleep beside an old log of wood, or the
seven sticks of wood, which, like tether-pins, the women
drove into the ground, and the women having observed
him, tied seven plies of his hair {seacJid duail a c/wdi) to
the log or sticks, which they drove into the ground.
They then raised the war-cry of the Fians. Every
member of the band was bound to answer this cry
whenever and wherever he heard it. When raised, it
was heard over five-fifths of Ireland, and Garry, on
hearing it, started to his feet, leaving the seven plies of
his hair sticking to the log or pins which had been driven
into the ground. Annoyed by the deceit practised upon
him, he went to the neighbouring wood, and finding a
burden of suitable material, he took it on his shoulders,
and placing it against the dwelling, set it on fire. It was
then that the attention of the Fians was drawn to the
low-lying, coloured smoke, and before long they saw
that their dwelling and home was in a blaze —
1 66 The Fians.
" There was seen a low-lying, discoloured smoke,
The dwelling of Farala blazing high."
" Chunnacas ceo talmhaidh daite,
Brugh Farala 'na lasair ard."
They leapt across the sound that separates Skye from
the mainland, as already told.
Brugh Farala is sometimes called Brugh Farabheinn,
and from the readiness with which the Fians observed it
and made their way to it, it is possible it may have been
somewhere in Ardnamurchan, or the districts leading to
it. The word " Brugh" implies that it was thickly peopled.
It is the word applied to dwellings of the Elfin race, and
is probably the same word as the English word Burgh
or Borough. The description in the Lay would imply
that the whole body of the Fian women were there; Garry
drove them into the Brugh and set it on fire. He was
willing to allow Fionn's wife to escape, and she would get
along with her nine {caogad) women opposite every finger
she had. She thought that number too few, and would
not come out unless she got nine nines {naoi caogad) for
every one of her fingers. The women were burnt, and
Garry fled to a cave. In case his place of refuge
should be detected by his footprints, it is said that he
jumped and made his way backwards into the cave.
The appearance then of the footprints was as of those of a
person leaving the cave, more than of a person entering
it. Some say there was a slight fall of snow at the
time, so that the footprints were more distinctly visible.
When Fionn came and found the edifice consumed by
fire, and no trace of Garry to be found, he put his finger
under his knowledge-tooth, and told his men to be quick
and catch Garry in the cave. Garry was brought to
justice, and was allowed, according to the law of the
Fian band, to choose the manner of his own death.
The version of the Lay or Poem of Brugh Farala, with
which the writer has fallen in, is as follows :
Briigh Farala. 167
Brugh Farala.
One day that Fionn went with his men
To the grass-covered straths of the Highlands, (i)
They let slip the dogs among the steep-shelving
ground
Throughout the glens nearest to them.
A plan of little sense then uprose
In the minds of the women of close curling heads ;
And they tied, with well-made pins.
The hero's hair in the folds of wood.
The hero started from sleep,
From the dream which was followed by no good.
Big Garry Mac Molum went
To the wood without any ready step,
And he found everything as we have heard ;
A small tree on his shoulder with him,
And he placed it against the house.
One day that he was splitting wood,
He kindled an unusual fire.
And put it to the side of the dwelling ;
Then to its highest point the burden of wood took fire.
Fionn's wife asked permission to escape
To caogadv^oxxi&n for every finger she had.
.... A hundred women were there at embroidery
work.
And a hundred maidens who were betrothed.
And a hundred women nursing children,
Were to be found by us in the long dwelling.
.... Then was seen an earthy dark smoke :
The dwelling of Farala was in lofty flames.
Every one leapt on his spear-point-head,
And MacReithin fell in the Sound.
But before MacCumal came,
1 68 The Fians.
The heat had subsided.
He put his back to the dwelling,
And wept for Garry as the first.
Fionn then put his finger under his tooth,
And accepted the knowledge that he got.
" Follow quickly the man who has concealed himself
from you,
And overtake Garry in the cave."
" Come out," said MacCumal,
" Good son of Morlum, of wretched plans,"
But delay for your life do not ask,
Since you happen to be among our Fians."
" If I got," he said, " my particular request,
Without asking the sparing of my life."
" You will get your special request
Without your life being spared."
" My petition is, that to take my life
Mac-a-Lun be given to Oscar ; (2)
That is my own request.
And to shorten my neck
On the side of Fionn's white thigh."
They put seven grey hides, and seven bundles of
twisted twigs, and seven feet of marshy soil on Fionn's
thigh. Garry's head was placed on that, and Oscar got
Mac-a-Lun —
And quicker than dew upon a daisy
Were heads of arteries cut in Fionn's knee.
Fionn died, and the whole Fian race suffered loss.
Latha sin dh' flialbh Fionn le Fhianntaibh,
Gu sraithibh gorm Innse Gall, (i)
Leig iad na coin ris na leacainn,
Feadh nan gleann a b' fliaigse dhoibh.
Chinn comhairle air bheagan ceill
Brugh Farala. 169
Aig bannal nan camag dlu,
Cheangail iad le deilge gasda
Fait an laoich ann an ghlac nan crann,
Dhuisg an laoch as a chadal
Le aisling nach math 'na deigh.
*****
Dh' imich Gara Mor mac Molum
Chaidh e 'n chbille gun cheum deas
'S fhuair e gach ni mar a chualas
Craobh chrion air a ghualainn leis
'S chur e sid ri taobh an tallai.
Latha dha ri sgolta bhbrdan
Rinn e teine nach bu dual
Chuir e sin ri taobh an tallai
'S gus a dhruim gu 'n ghahh a 'chual.
Dh' iarr bean Fhinn tighinn amach,
'S Caogad bean air son na h-uile miar.
Ciad bean a bh' ann ri oradh,
'S ciad ribhinn gu cordadh leinn
'S ciad bean 'nam muime fo mhacan,
Gheibht' ann am brugh fada leinn.
Var. (see Notes).
Chunnaic iad ceo talmhaidh daite :
Tigh Farala 'na lasair ard,
'S leum gach fear thar bharr chrann sleagha
'S dh' fhag iad Mac-an-Reithinn sa chaol.
'S mu 'n d' thainig MacCumhail oirnn
Bha 'n teogais air dol gu cul.
Chuir Fionn a dhruim ris an talla
'S chaoineadh leis Garai air thus.
Chuir Fionn an sin a mhiar fo dheud fios
'S ghabh e mu 'n fhios a fhuair.
" Leanabh gu luath fear air folach
'S beiribh air Garai 'san uaimh."
"Thig amach," arsa MacCumhail,
" Dheagh mhic Molum nan cleas truagh
1 70 The Fimts.
'S dal do t' anam na dean iarraidh
O 'n tharladh 'nar Fianntan ihu."
" N' am faighinns'," ars' esan, " m' achanaich araid
As eugmhais m' anam bhi bhuam."
" Gheibh thu t' achanaich araid
As t' ionnuis t' anam thoirt saor."
" Se m' achanaich fliein bhuin ri m' anam
Mac-a-Luinne thoirt do Oscar : (2)
'Se sin m' achanaich fhein
A chur mo bhraghad an giorrad
Air taobh sleisde gile Fhinn."
Chuir iad seachd seicheannan glasa 's seachd ceapan caoil,
agus seachd troidhean de thalamh reisg air muin sHasaid
Fhinn ; chuirte ceann Gharai air a sin, 's fhuair Oscar Mac-
a-Luin —
Bu liubha na druchd air feoinean
Ceann cuisle gearrt' an glim Fhinn.
Chaidh crioch air Fionn, agus thainig dith air an
Fheinn uile.
Notes.
(i) Innse Call mta.ns literally, The Stranger's Place of Refuge.
Some understand by it the Isle of Skye, as in the case of a native
of that island who was in the south. She is stated to have said :
" If I were in Intise Call
I would suit the place well,
Where I could give something away,
And get something."
" Na 'n robh mise an Innse Gall
'S math fhreagairinn ann,
Far an d' ugain rud bhuam,
'S am faigheadh rud."
This supposition that the Fians were hunting in Skye is
strengthened by the Sound which separates Skye from the main-
land being called to this day Kyle Rea {Caol Reithinn). " Innse
Gall'' is understood by others to be the whole Highlands, hence
the expression, huise Gall na Caidhealtachd (The Highlands,
which are the stranger's place of refuge).
Brugh Farala. 171
(2) Some reciters say Ailbhhin, and others Fraoch.
Var.— Pi. hundred maidens at embroidery work,
A hundred maidens of deftest fingers,
A hundred young girls who were pledged to us,
A hundred women nursing children,
A hundred dogs with silver collars.
•)(••?(•** *
That was to be found in the house of hundreds,
And many men in their best attire.
Ciad nionag a bh' ann ri oradh,
'S ciad nionag bu ghrinne meur,
Ciad Li-bhean ri cordadh leinn,
'S ciad bean 'nam muime fo mhacan,
Ciad cuilean, ann le cholair airgid.
* * * -x- -x-
Gheibhte sid an tigh nan ceudan,
'S lionar fear 'na eidibh ann.
THE DAY OF THE BATTLE OF SHEAVES,
IN THE TRUE HOLLOW OF TIREE.
The Fians were at harvest-work in Kilmoluag(i), in the
true hollow of Tiree ; it was oats they were harvesting.
The day on which they went to reap they left their
weapons of war in the armoury of the Fairy Hill of
Caolis (2). When they were at the reaping they saw the
Norsemen coming ashore at Besta. The Fians had
neither spears nor any weapons of war. They sent
away Thinman and Back of the Wind MacRae, son of
Ronan, for the weapons. The Norsemen attacked them,
but a sheaf of oats was driven to the waist in Norsemen's
body that day. Then Fionn said to the man near him :
" Look if you can see any man coming with the
armour."
" I see one man."
" What like is he ?"
" He is as if he had bare wood {i.e., wood stripped of
leaves) on his shoulder."
" Are you seeing anyone else ?"
" I do not see anyone but him."
In a little while Fionn again said: "What is his
appearance now coming ?"
" He is as though he had three heads on."
" My child is at full speed, that is, his feet going as
high as the top of his head as he comes. Do you see
any other?"
" I do see another."
" Is he making any speed ?"
" Yes, enough."
The Battle of Sheaves. 173
Thinman {Caoitte) came, and every man took his
weapons, and they and the Norsemen commenced to
attack each other, and they drove the Norsemen to the
shore.
The Gaehc, which is as follows, is given word for
word as it was taken down from the teller of the story.
Latha Cath nan Sguab ann am Fior-Lagan
Thiridhe.
Bha an Fheinn a 'deanadh barr ann an Cill-Moluac, b' e sin
fior lagan Thireadh, agus is e coirce bha aca. Latha chaidh
iad a dheanadh na buain, agus dh' fhag iad an cuid arm ann an
ciste nan arm an Dun a 'Chaolais. Darbha iad aig a 'bhuain,
chunnaic iad na Lochlannaich tighinn air tir ann am Bista.
Cha robh sleaghan no airm ail' aca. Chuir iad air falbh Caoilte
agus Cul Guith Mac Rath, 'ic Ronain a dh' iarraidh nan arm.
Thoisich ian fhein 's na Lochlannaich air a cheile, 's bha sguab
coirce del gu cries ann an cneas Lochlannaich an latha sin.
Thuirt Fionn ri fear bha lamh ris :
" Seall am faic thu aon duine tighinn leis na h-airm ?"
" Chi mi aon duine."
" De choltas ?"
" Tha mar gum biodh coille lomain air a ghuallain."
"Am bheil thu faicinn duin' eile ?"
" Cha-n' eil mi faicinn gin ach e."
An ceann tacain thuirt Fionn a ris :
" De choltas an drasd' a 'tighinn ?"
" Tha e mar gum biodh tri chinn air."
" Tha mo leanabh aig Ian astar, sin agad a chasan dol co
ard ri mullach a chinn, a 'tighinn. Am faic thu tuille ?"
" Chi, fear eile."
" Am bheil astar fodha ?"
" Tha gu leoir."
Thainig Caoilte 's rug gach fear air arm, 's thoisich iad fhein
's na Lochlainnich air a cheile 's chuir iad ruaig air na Loch-
lainnich gu cladach.
1 74 ^'^^ Fiaiis.
Notes.
(i) Kilmoluag is farm-land on the north-west side of Tiree. It
is now densely populated by a crofter population, but bears traces
of having been at one time very fertile. It must suffer a great deal
from sand blowing. Moluag, the saint from whom the name is
derived, has many places called after him. There is a Kilmoluag
in Lismore and one in Skye.
(2) The distance from the scene of their labours to Caolas would
be about five miles. The fort is a hillock, in which there is to be
seen a small hollow called the armoury {ciste nan ar7n), and was,
within the memory of those still living, considered a place of
strength. It was surrounded by a dry stone dyke, but the stones
have been removed to build houses with.
This story was written as it was told by Donald Cameron, a
native of Tiree, in the year 1865. Many other tales {Sgeulachda7i)
and songs {orain) were taken down from him at the time, and the
writer cannot but express his admiration of Cameron, as the best
reciter he has ever fallen in with, as well as his own good fortune
in having met him, and in the stories having been at the time
written down. Though these tales are not of historical value, they
are of great value as specimens of the power of the language, and
remains of habits of thought now rapidly passing away. The
names of places in Tiree, and other islands near, bear evident
traces of Norsemen having been here at one time subsequent to
the settlement of the Gaelic-speaking race ; and there are also
traces in the names of some race to which no name can be posi-
tively given.
FIN MAC COUL IN THE KINGDOM OF
THE BIG MEN.
This Celtic hero has been unfortunate in the manner in
which he has come before the Hterary world. At one
time he was represented as a giant of portentous di-
mensions : —
" His mouth was twelve miles broad,
His teeth were ten miles square ;"
at another time as a powerful ruler in a state of society
comparatively civilised. The authenticity of the poems
for which this latter view is responsible is questioned,
and has led to a heated controversy sufficient (to say
the least) to create a prejudice against him.
Fin, their leader, is a particularly attractive character
in popular lore —
" His house was wide and hospitable.
Its door was never closed."
" Tigh farsuing fial
A chomhla cha do dhruideadh riamh."
Fin's dog Bran was a Fairy or Elfin dog, commonly said
to have had a venomous claw, which was kept covered
except when the dog was engaged in fight. One of the
most affecting incidents in the popular tales of Fin is
that of his having on one occasion struck this favourite
hound.
" Noble Bran looked at him.
And wondered at his striking him ;
The hand with which I struck Bran
Pity from the shoulder it was not shred."
176 The Fians.
" Dh' amhairc air Bran buadhach
'S ioghnadh air e bhith 'ga bhualadh ;
An lamh leis an do bhuail mi Bran
'S truagh o'n ghualainn nach do sgar,"
The following tale was not written word for word
from the dictation of the reciter ; but full notes were
taken, and written out immediately after, so that it may
be said that the tale is given in the words of the person
from whom it was heard, without addition or suppression.
The tale is particularly valuable as showing how the
human imagination runs in similar or analogous grooves.
Whoever composed the story, in all probability, never
heard of Gulliver ; and the " immortal" Swift never
heard of Fin-mac-Coul going to the kingdom of Big
Men. The two tales are founded on the same fancy, in
representing their heroes as visiting men of gigantic
size, compared with whom ordinary mortals are mere
pigmies ; but the incidents are so different, and cast in
such entirely difi'erent moulds, that it becomes probable
almost to certainty, that they have no connection with
each other.
How Fin went to the Kingdom of the
Big Men.
Fin and his men were in the Harbour of the Hill of
Howth on a hillock, behind the wind and in front of
the sun, where they could see every person, and nobody
could see them, when they saw a speck coming from
the west. They thought at first it was the blackness of
a shower ; but when it came nearer, they saw it was a
boat. It did not lower sail till it entered the harbour.
There were three men in it ; one for guide in the bow,
one for steering in the stern, and one for the tackle in
the centre. They came ashore, and drew it up seven
times its own length in dry grey grass, where the
scholars of the city could not make it stock for derision
or ridicule.
Finn Mac Coitl. i77
They then went up to a lovely green spot, and the
first lifted a handful of round pebbles or shingle, and
commanded them to become a beautiful house, that no
better could be found in Ireland ; and this was done.
The second one lifted a slab of slate, and commanded it
to be slate on the top of the house, that there was not
better in Ireland ; and this was done. The third one
caught a bunch of shavings and commanded them to be
pine-wood and timber in the house, that there was not
in Ireland better ; and this was done.
This caused much wonder to Fin, who went down
where the men were, and made inquiries of them, and
they answered him. He asked whence they were, or
whither they were going. They said, " We are three
Heroes whom the King of the Big Men has sent to ask
combat of the Fians." He then asked, " What was the
reason for doing this, or what was the purport (literally,
juice) of their coming ?" They said they did not know,
but they heard that they were strong men, and they
came to ask combat of Heroes from them. " Is Fin at
home?" "He is not." [Great is a man's leaning
towards his own life.] Fin then put them under crosses
and under enchantments, that they were not to move
from the place where they were till they saw him again.
He went away and made ready his coracle, gave its
stern to land and prow to sea, hoisted the spotted
towering sails against the long, tough, lance-shaped
mast, cleaving the billows in the embrace of the wind
in whirls, with a soft gentle breeze from the height of
the sea coast, and from the rapid tide of the red (z.^.,
tangled-covered) rocks, that would take willow from the
hill, foliage from the tree, and heather from its stock and
roots. Fin was guide in her prow, helm in her stern,
and tackle in her middle ; and stopping of head or foot
he did not make till he reached the Kingdom of the
Big Men. He went ashore and drew up his coracle in
12
lyS The Fians.
grey grass. He went up, and a Big Wayfarer met him.
Fin asked who he was. " I am," he said, " the Red-haired
Coward of the King of the Big Men ; and," said he to
Fin, "you are the one I am in quest of Great is my
esteem and respect towards you ; you are the best maiden
I have ever seen ; you will yourself make a dwarf for
the King, and your dog (this was Bran) a lapdog. It
is long since the King has been in want of a dwarf and
a lapdog." He took with him Fin ; but another Big
Man came, and was going to take Fin from him. The
two fought ; but when they had torn each other's clothes,
they left it to Fin to judge. He chose the first one. He
took Fin with him to the palace of the King, whose
worthies and high nobles assembled to see the little
man. The King lifted him upon the palm of his hand,
and went three times round the town with Fin upon one
palm and Bran upon the other. He made a sleeping-
place for him at the end of his ov/n bed. Fin was
waiting, watching, and observing everything that was
going on about the house. He observed that the King,
as soon as night came, rose and went out, and returned
no more till morning. This caused him much wonder,
and at last he asked the King why he went away every
night and left the Queen by herself " Why," said the
King, " do you ask ?" " For satisfaction to myself," said
Fin ; " for it is causing me much wonder." Now the
King had a great liking for Fin ; he never saw anything
that gave him more pleasure than he did ; and at last
he told him. " There is," he said, " a great Monster who
wants my daughter in marriage, and to have half my
kingdom to himself; and there is not another man in the
kingdom who can meet him but myself ; and I must go
every night to hold combat with him." " Is there,'^ said
Fin, "no man to combat with him but yourself?"
" There is not," said the King, " one who will war with
him for a single night." " It is a pity," said Fin, "that
Finn Mac Coul. 179
this should be called the Kingdom of the Big Men. Is
he bigger than yourself?" "Never you mind," said the
King. " I will mind," said Fin : " take your rest and
sleep to-night, and I shall go to meet him." " Is it
you ?" said the King ; "you would not keep half a stroke
against him."
When night came, and all men went to rest, the King
was for going away as usual ; but Fin at last prevailed
upon him to allow himself to go. " I shall combat him,"
said he, " or else he knows a trick." " I think much,"
said the King, " of allowing you to go, seeing he gives
myself enough to do." " Sleep you soundly to-night,"
said Fin, " and let me go ; if he comes too violently
upon me, I shall hasten home."
Fin went and reached the place where the combat
was to be. He saw no one before him, and he began to
pace backwards and forwards. At last he saw the sea
coming in kilns of fire and as a darting serpent, till it
came down below where he was. A Huge Monster
came up and looked towards him, and from him. "What
little speck do I see there ?" he said. " It is I," said Fin.
"What are you doing here ?" " I am a messenger from
the King of the Big Men ; he is under much sorrow and
distress; the Queen has just died, and. I have come to
ask if you will be so good as to go home to-night with-
out giving trouble to the kingdom." " I shall do that,"
said he ; and he went away with the rough humming of
a song in his mouth.
Fin went home when the time came, and lay down in
his own bed, at the foot of the King's bed. When the
King awoke, he cried out in great anxiety, " My king-
dom is lost, and my dwarf and my lapdog are killed !"
" They are not," said Fin ; " I am here yet ; and you
have got your sleep, a thing you were saying it was rare
for you to get." " How," said the King, " did you
escape, when you are so little, and that he is enough for
12 2
I So The Fians.
myself, though I am so big." "Though you," said Fin,
" are so big and strong, I am quick and active."
Next night the King was for going : but Fin told
him to take his sleep to-night again : " I shall stand
myself in your place, or else a better hero than yonder
one will come." " He will kill you," said the King. " I
shall take my chance," said Fin.
Fie went, and as happened the night before, he saw
no one ; and he began to pace backwards and forwards.
He saw the sea coming in fiery kilns and as a darting
serpent : and that Huge Man came up. " Are you here
to-night again ?" said he. " I am, and this is my errand :
when the Queen was being put in the coffin (lit., dead-
chest), and the King heard the coffin being nailed, and
the joiner's stroke, he broke his heart with pain and
grief ; and the Parliament has sent me to ask you to go
home to-night till they get the King buried." The
Monster went this night also, roughly humming a song ;
and Fin went home when the time came.
In the morning the King awoke in great anxiety, and
called out, " My kingdom is lost, and my dwarf and my
lapdog are killed !" and he greatly rejoiced that Fin
and Bran were alive, and that he himself got rest, after
being so long without sleep.
Fin went the third night, and things happened as
before. There was no one before him, and he took to
pacing to and fro. He saw the sea coming till it came
down below him : the Big Monster came up ; he saw
the little black speck, and asked who was there, and
what he wanted. " I have come to combat you," said
Fin.
Fin and Bran began the combat. Fin was going
backwards, and the Huge Man was following. Fin
called to Bran, " Are you going to let him kill me ?"
Bran had a venomous shoe ; and he leaped and struck
the Hucre Man with the venomous shoe on the breast-
Finn Mac ConL i8i
bone, and took the heart and kmgs out of him. Fin
drew Mac-a-Luin (his sword), cut off his head, put it on
a hempen rope, and went with it to the Palace of the
King. He took it into the Kitchen, and put it behind the
door. In the morning the servant could not turn it,
nor open the door. The King went down ; he saw the
Huge Mass, caught it by the top of the head, and lifted
it, and knew it was the head of the Man who was for so
long a time asking combat from him, and keeping him
from sleep. " How at all," said he, "has this head come
here ? Surely it is not my dwarf that has done it."
" Why," said Finn, " should he not ?"
Next night the King wanted to go himself to the
place of combat ; " because," said he, " a bigger one than
the former will come to-night, and the kingdom will be
destroyed, and you yourself killed ; and that is not the
pleasure I take in having you with me." But Fin went,
and everything happened as formerly till that Big Man
came again, asking vengeance for his son, and to have
the kingdom for himself, or equal combat. He and
Fin began ; and Fin was going backwards. He spoke
to Bran, "Are you going to allow him to kill me ?" Bran
whined, and went and sat down on the beach. Fin was
ever going back, and he called out again to Bran. Bran
jumped and struck the Big Man with the venomous
shoe, and took the heart and the lungs out of him. Fin
cut the head off, and took it with him, and left it in
front of the house. The King awoke in great terror,
and cried out, " My kingdom is lost, and my dwarf and
my lapdog are killed !" Fin raised himself up and said,
" They are not ;" and the King's joy was not small when
he went out and saw the head that was in front of the
house.
The next night a Big Hag came ashore, and the tooth
in the front (literally door) of her mouth would make a
distaff She sounded a challenge on her shield : " You
1 82 The Fians.
killed," she said, " my husband and my son." " I did
kill them," said Fin. They engaged ; and it was worse
for Fin to guard himself from the tooth than from the
hand of the Big Hag. When she had nearly done for
him Bran struck her with the venomous shoe, and killed
her as he had done to the rest. Fin took with him the
head, and left it in front of the house. The King awoke
in great anxiety, and called out, " My kingdom is lost,
and my dwarf and my lapdog are killed !" " They are
not," said Fin, answering him ; and when they went out
and saw the head, the King said, " I and my kingdom
will have peace ever after this. The mother herself of
the brood is killed ; but tell me who you are. It was
foretold for me that it would be Fin-mac-Coul that
would give me relief, and he is only now eighteen years
of age. Who are you, then, or what is your name?"
"There never stood," said Fin, "on hide of cow or
horse, one to whom I would deny my name. I am Fin,
the son of Coul (Cuwal) son of Looach, son of Trein,
son of Fin, son of Art (Arthur), son of the young High
King of Erin ; and it is time for me now to go home.
It has been with much wandering out of my way that I
have come to your kingdom ; and this is the reason why
I have come, that I might find out what injury I have
done to you, or the reason why you sent the three heroes
to ask combat from me, and bring destruction on my
Men." "You never did any injury to me," said the
King ; "and I ask a thousand pardons. I did not send
the heroes to you. It is not the truth they told. They
were three men who were courting three fairy women
(elfin women), and these gave them their shirts ; and
when they have on the shirts, the combat of a hundred
men is upon the hand of every one of them. But they
must put off the shirts every night, and put them on the
backs of chairs ; and if the shirts were taken from them
they would be next day as weak as other people."
Finn Mac Coul. 183
Fin got every honour, and all that the King could
give him ; and when he went away, the King and the
Queen and the people went down to the shore to give
him their blessing.
Fin now went away in his coracle, and was sailing
close to land (lit. by the side of the shore), when he saw
a young man running and calling out to him. Fin came
in close to land with his coracle, and asked what he
wanted. " I am," said the young man, " a good servant
wanting a master." " What work can you do ?" said
Fin. " I am," said he, " the best soothsayer that there
is." " Jump into the boat, then." The soothsayer jumped
in, and they went forward."
They did not go far when another youth came
running. " I am," he said, " a good servant wanting a
master." " What work can you do ?" said Fin. " I am
as good a thief as there is." " Jump into the boat,
then ;'■■ and Fin took with him this one also. They saw
then a third young man running and calling out. They
came close to land. " What man are you ?" said Fin.
" I am," said he, " the best climber that there is. 1 will
take up a hundred pounds on my back in a place where
a fly could not stand on a calm summer day." " Jump
in ;" and this one came in also. " I have my pick of
servants now," said Fin ; " it cannot be but these will
suffice."
They went; and stop of head or foot they did not
make till they reached the Harbour of the Hill of
Howth. He asked the soothsayer what the three Big
Men were doing. " They are," he said, " after their
supper, and making ready for going to bed."
He asked a second time. " They are," he said, " after
going to bed ; and their shirts are spread on the back of
chairs."
After a while, Fin asked him again, " What are the
Big Men doing now ?" " They are," said the soothsayer.
184 The Fians.
" sound asleep." " It would be a good thing if there was
now a thief to go and steal the shirts." " I would do
that," said the thief, " but the doors are locked, and I
cannot get in." " Come," said the climber, "on my back,
and I shall put you in." He took him up upon his back
to the top of the chimney, and let him down, and he
stole the shirts.
Fin went where the Fian band was ; and in the
morning they came to the house where the three Big
Men were. They sounded a challenge upon their
shields, and asked them to come out to combat.
They came out. " Many a day," said they, " have we
been better for combat than we are to-day," and they
confessed to Fin everything as it was. " You were,"
said Fin, " impertinent"; and he made them swear that
they would be faithful to himself ever after, and ready
in every enterprise he would place before them.
Mar a chaidh Fionn do Righeachd nam Fear
Mora.
Bha Fionn 's a chuid dhaoine ann an cala Beinn Eudainn^
air cnoc, air chul gaoith' 's air eudain greine, far am faiceadh
iadah-uile fear 's nach fhaiceadh duin' idir iad, 'nuair a chunn-
aic iad duradan a' tighin o'n aird'-an-iar. Shaoil leo an
toiseach gur h-e dubhradh frois a bh'ann ; ach an uair a thainig
i ni 'bu dluithe, chunnaic iad gur h-e bata 'bh'ann. Cha do
leag i sebl gus an d'thainig i staigh do'n chala. Bha triuir
dhaoine innt', fear ri iul 'na toiseach, fear ri stiuir 'na deireadh,
is fear ri beairt 'na buillsgein. Thainig iad air tir, is tharraing
^ The name of this hill is uniformly known in Tales of the
West Highlands (in which it is frequently mentioned) as Bcitni
Eiidainn, but in Irish it is called Belnu Eculair {the Hill of Howth,
near Dublin).
Finn Mac Coiil. 185
ad a suas i, a seachd fad fhein, ann am feur tioram, glas, far
nach deanadh sgoilearan a' bhaile mhbir burd mhagaidh no
fhochaid dhi.
Chaidh iad an sin a suas gu lianaig bhoidhich, agus thog an
ceud fhear Ian a dhuirn de bhulbhagan no morghan chlach,
agus thuirt e riu, iad a bhith 'nan taigh briagha, nach robh
an Eirinn ni 'b'fhearr ; agus bha so deanta. Thog an dara
fear leacag sghat, agus thuirt e i a bhith 'na sgliat air mullach an
taighe, nach robh an Eirinn ni 'b'fhearr ; agus bha so deanta.
Rug an treas fear air bad shliseag, agus thuirt e iad a bhith
'nan giubhas 's 'nam fiodh 'san taigh nach robh an Eirinn ni
b'fhearr ; agus bha so deanta.
Chuir so mor ioghnadh air Fionn ; agus chaidh e sios far
an robh na daoine, agus dh'flioighneachd e iad, agus flireagair
iad e. Dh'fhoighneachd e cia as a bha iad, no ceana 'bha iad
a' dol. " Is tri gaisgich sinn, a chuir righ nam Fear Mora a
dh'iarraidh cbmhraig air an Fheinn." Dh'fharraid e'n sin 'd e
'n t-aobhar a bha air son so a dheanamh, no ciod am fath no
'n sugh a bha aig an teachd. Thuirt iad nach robh fios aca ;
ach gu'n cual' iad gu'n robh iad 'nan daoine laidir, 's gu'n
d'thainig iad a dh'iarraidh cbmhraig laoch orra. " A bheil
Fionn aig an taigh ?" " Cha 'n' eil." [Is mbr baigh duine
r'a anam.] Chuir Fionn an so iad fo chroisean agus fo
gheasan, nach gluaiseadh iad as an ait an robh iad gus am
faiceadh iad e-san a ris.
Dh'fhalbh e agus rinn e deas a churachan ; agus thug e a
dheireadh do thir agus a thoiseach do mhuir ; agus thog e na
siuil bhreaca, bhaidealach, an aghaidh nan crann fada, fulan-
gach, fiiii, a' gabhail nan sugh an glaic na gaoithe 'na cuireagan,
le soirbheas beag, lag, laghach, o mhullach nam beann, 's o
airde na h-eirthire, 's o bhuinne nan ruadh-charraigean, a
bheireadh seileach a beinn, 's duilleach a craoibh, 's fraoch
og as a bhun 's as a fhreumhaichean. Dheanadh Fionn iiil
'na toiseach, stiuir 'na deireadh, 's beairt 'na buiUsgein ; agus
stad cinn no coise cha d'rinn e gus an d'rainig e righeachd
nam Fear Mbra. Chaidh e air tir, 's tharraing e suas a
churachan ann am feur glas. Ghabh e suas, is thachair an
taisdealach mbr ud air. Dh'fharraid Fionn cb e. " Is mise,"
1 86 The Fians.
ars' e-san, " an Cladhaire Ruadh aig righ nam Fear Mora ;
agus," ars' e-san ri Fionn, "is tusa a tha 'dhith orm. Is maith
do mhiadh agus do mhodh orm ; is tu oigh a 's fearr a chunn-
aic mi riamh ; ni thu fhein troich do'n righ, agus ni do chu
(b'e so Bran) measan. Is fhada o'n tha troich is measan a
dhith air an righ." Thug e leis Fionn ; ach thainig Fear Mbr
eile, agus bha e dol g'a thoirt bhuaithe. Leum an dithis air
a cheile ; ach dar a bha iad air falluinnean a cheile shracadh,
dh'fhag iad aig Fionn breth a thoirt. Rogimaich e an ciad
fhear. Thog e-san leis Fionn thun palace an righ, agus
chruinnich a mhaithean agus a mhor-uaislean a dh'fhaicin an
duine bhig. Thog an righ e air a bhois ; agus chaidh e tri
uairean mu'n bhaile, agus Fionn air an darna bois agus Bran
air a' bhois eile. Rinn e aite-cadail dha aig ceann a leapach
fheinn. Bha Fionn a' feitheamh, agus a' faire, agus a' faicin
nan uile nithe a bha dol air aghaidh mu'n taigh. Mhothaich
e gu'n robh an righ, co luath 's a bha an oidhche tighin, ag
eirigh agus a' falbh a mach ; agus cha tigeadh e tuilleadh gu
madainn. Chuir so mbr ioghnadh air \ agus, mu dheireadh,
dh'fheoraich e de 'n righ c'ar son a bha e falbh a h-uile oidhche,
agus a' fagail na ban-righinn leatha fein. " C'ar son," ars' an
righ, "a ta thu feoraich ?" "Tha," arsa Fionn, "air son
riarachaidh dhomh fhein, oir tha e cur mbrain iongantais orm."
A nis, bha tlachd mbr aig an righ do Fhionn ; cha d'fhuair e
ni riamh a bha toirt tuilleadh toileachaidh dha na e ; agus,
mu dheireadh, dh'innis e. "Tha," ars' e-san, " Athach mbr
ag iarraidh mo nighin r'a pbsadh, agus leth mo righeachd uile
bhith aige fhein ; agus cha 'n 'eil duine eile 'san righeachd
a's urrainn a choinneachadh ach mi fein ; agus is eigin dol
gach oidhche a chumail cbmhraig ris." " Nach 'eil," arsa
Fionn, " aon fhear a chumas cbmhrag ris ach thu fhein ?"
" Cha 'n 'eil," ars' an righ, " na chumas cogadh aon oidhche
tris." " Is mairg," arsa Fionn, " a thugrigheachd nam Fear
Mbra orra. A bheil e ni's mb na thu fein ?" " Is coma
leatsa," ars' an righ. " Cha choma," arsa Fionn ; "gabh thusa
fois agus codal a nochd, agus theid mise g'a choinneachadh."
"'N e thusa ?" thuirt an righ, "cha chumadh tu aon bhloigh
buille ris."
I
Finn Mac Coul. 187
'Nuair a thainig an oidhche 's a ghabh a h-uile duine mu
thamh, bha'n righ air son falbh mar a b'abhaist ; ach thug
Fionn air, mu dheireadh, e fein a leigeadh ann. " Comhraigidh
mise e," ars' e-san, " air neo tha cleas aige." " Is mbr learn,"
ars' an righ, "do leigeadh ann, 's gur lebir leam fein e."
"Coidil thusa gu suaimhneach a nochd," arsa Fionn, " is leig
mise ann ; ma thig e cas, greasaidh mi dhachaidh."
Dh'fhalbh Fionn, is rainig e 'n t-ait 'san robh a' chbmhrag ri
bhith. Cha robh e faicin duine roimhe, is thoisich e air spaisd-
eireachd air ais is air aghaidh. Mu dheireadh, chunnaic e a'
mhuir a' tighin 'na h-athanna teine 's 'na nathair bheumnaich,
gus an d'rainig i shios fodha. Thainig Athach mbr a nios, is
sheall e thuige 's bhuaithe. " D e," ars' e-san, " an duradan a
chi mi 'n sid ?" " Tha mise," arsa Fionn. " 'D e a tha thu
deanamh an so ?" " Is teachdaire mise o righ nam Fear Mora ;
tha mbran mulaid agus cruais air ; tha a' bhan righinn an deigh
bas fhaotain, agus thainig mise dh'fheoraich dhiot am bi thu
CO math a's dol dachaidh a nochd gun luasgan a chur air an
righeachd." " Ni mi sin," thuirt e-san, agus dh'fhalbh e, is
gnodhan brain aige 'na bheul.
Dh'fhalbh Fionn dachaidh dar a thainig an t-am, agus chaidh
e a laighe 'na leabaidh fhein aig casan leab' an righ. Dar a
dhuisg an righ, ghlaodh e ann an iomguin mhoir, " Tha mo
righeachd air a call 's mo throich 's mo mheasan air am
marbhadh !" "Cha 'n 'eil," arsa Fionn; "tha mi'n so fathast,
agus fhuair thusa do chadal, rud a tha thu ag radh a b'annas-
ach leat fhaotain." " Ciamar," ars' an righ, " a chaidh thusa
as, is thu CO beag, ged is lebir e dhbmh-sa, is mi co mbr ?"
" Ged tha thusa," arsa Fionn, " mbr laidir, tha mise deas,
apaidh."
An ath-oidhche, bha'n righ air son falbh ; ach thuirt Fionn
ris e ghabhail a chadail a nochd fhathast ; " Seasaidh mi fhin
a'd' ait, air neo thig laoch a's fearr na sud." " Marbhaidh e
thu," thuirt an righ. " Gabhaidh mi cuid mo thuiteamais,"
thuirt Fionn.
Dh'fhalbh e ; is mar a thachair an oidhche roimhe, cha'n
fhac' e duine, is thoisich e air spaisdeireachd air ais 's air
aghaidh. Chunnaic e'n fhairge tighin 'na h-athanna teine 's
1 88 The Fians.
'na nathair bheumnaich ; agus thainig am fear mor ud a nios.
"A bheil thus' an so a nochd a ris?" ars' e-san. " Tha mi,
agus is e sud mo thurus : 'nuair a bha a' bhan-righinn 'ga cur
arms a' chiste-mhairbh, agus a chual' an righa' chiste 'ga tarraing-
eachadh agus buille nan saor, bhrist a chridhe le cradh agus le
mulad ; agus chuir a' Pharlamaid mise a dh'iarraidh ort gu'n
rachadh tu dhachaidh air an oidhche so, gus am faigheadh iad
an righ a thiodhlacadh." Dh'fhalbh an t-Athach air an oidhche
so cuideachd, agus gnodhan orain aige 'na bheul ; is chaidh
Fionn dachaidh dar a thainig an t-am.
'Sa' mhadainn dhiiisg an righ ann an iomguin mhbir, agus
ghlaodh e mach, " Mo righeachd air a call, agus mo throich
agus mo mheasan air am marbhadh !" Agus rinn e gairdeachas
gu leoir gu'n robh Fionn is Bran beo, 's gu'n d'fhuair e fhein
fois an deigh a bhith co fada gun chadal.
Chaidh Fionn an treas oidhche ann, agus thachair mar a
thachair roimhe. Cha robh duine air thoiseach air ; bhuail e
air spaisdeireachd. Chunnaic e'n fhairge tighin gus an d'
rainig i shios fodha ; thainig an t-Athach mbr a nios ; chunnaic
e'n diiradan beag ud, 's dh'fheoraich e co a bha'n sud, is ciod
a bha 'dhith air. " Thainig mi g'ad chbmhrag-sa," arsa Fionn.
Thbisich Fionn is Bran air a' chbmhrag ; ach bha Fionn
a'dol air 'ais an comhair a chuil, is bha 'm fear mbr 'ga leanailt.
Ghlaodh Fionn ri Bran, " A bheil thu dol a leigeil leis mo
mharbhadh ?" Bha brbg nimhe air Bran ; agus leum e agus
bhuail e a' bhrbg nimhe air an Fhear Mhbr ann an carraig an
uchd, agus thug e 'n cridhe agus an sgamhan as. Tharraing
Fionn Mac-an-Luin agus ghearr e dheth an ceann, agus chuir
e air ropa cainbe e, agus dh'ihalbh e leis gu palace an righ.
Thug e staigh do'n chitsein e, agus chuir e cul an doruis e.
'Sa' mhadainn, cha b' urrainn an X.-searbhant car a chur deth,
no an dorus fhosgladh. Chaidh an righ a sios ; chunnaic e'n
tiichd mbr ud ; rug e air muUach a chinn agus thog se e, agus
dh'aithnich e gur h-e a bh'ann ceann an fhir, a bha a leithid
a dh'iiine 'g iarraidh cbmhraig air, agus 'ga chumail o chadal.
" Ciamar idir," ars' e-san, "a thainig an ceann so an so ? Gu
cinnteach, cha'n e mo throich a rinn e." " C arson," arsa
Fionn, " nach b' e ?"
Finn Mac Coid. 189
An ath-oidhche, bha 'n righ ag iarraidh dol e fein do'n ait-
chbmhraig, " A chionn," thuirt e, "gu'n tig fear a's mo na'm
fear ud a nochd ; agus bidh an righeachd air a sgrios, agus tu
fein air do mharbhadh ; 's nach e sin an tlachd a tha mi
gabhail ann thu bhith agam." Ach dh'fhalbh Fionn, is
thachair gach ni mar a thachair roimhe, gus an d' thainig am
fear mbr ud a ris ag iarraidh dioghaitais air son a mhic, agus
an righeachd a bhith aige, no cbmhrag ceile. Thoisich e
fhein is Fionn ; is bha Fionn a'dol air 'ais. Labhair e ri Bran,
"A bheil thu dol a leigeadh leis mise a mharbhadh?" Thug
Bran gnusd as, agus dh'fhalbh e is rinn e suidhe air an traigh.
Bha Fionn a' sior-dhol air 'ais, agus ghlaodh e a ris ri Bran.
I.eum Bran is bhuail e a' bhrog nimhe air an Fhear Mhbr, is
thug e'n cridhe 's an sgamhan as. Ghearr Fionn an ceann
dheth, agus thug e leis e, agus dh'fhag e air bialthaobh an
taighe e. Dhuisg an righ ann an eagal mor agus ghlaodh e,
" Mo righeachd air a call, agus mo throich agus mo mheasan
air am marbhadh !" Thug Fionn togail air fein, agus thubhairt
e nach robh ; agus cha bu bheag gairdeachas an righ 'nuair a
chaidh e mach, agus a chunnaic e'n ceann a bha air bialthaobh
an taighe.
An ath oidhche, thainig cailleach mhbrgu tir, agus dheanadh
an fhiacail a bha 'n dorus a bebil cuigeal. Bhuail i beum-
sgeithe : " Mharbh thu," ars' ise, " m' fhear agus mo mhac."
" Mharbh mi," thuirt Fionn. Thbisich iad air a ch^ile ; agus
bu mhiosa do Fhionn e fhein a dhion o'n fhiacail na o' n laimh
aig a' chaillich. 'Nuair a bha i brath foghnachdainn da, bhuail
Bran i leis a' bhrbig nimhe, is mharbh e i mar a rinn e air
each. Thug Fionn leis an ceann, is dh' fhag e air bialthaobh
an taighe e. Dhuisg an righ ann an iomguin mhbir agus
ghlaodh e, "Tha mo righeachd air a call, agus mo throich agus
mo mheasan air am marbhadh !" " Cha 'n 'eil," thuirt Fionn,
is e 'g a fhreagairt ; agus an uair a chaidh iad a mach, agus a
chunnaic iad an ceann, thuirt an righ, " Bidh a nis tuilleadh
sith agams' agus aig mo righeachd. Tha an so mathair na
cuain i fhein air a marbhadh ; ach innis dhomh cb thu. Bha
e 'san tairgneachd agam-sa gur h-e Fionn MacCumhaill a
bheireadh fuasgladh dhomh, 's cha 'n 'eil e ach ochd bliadhna
iQO The Fians.
deug a dh'aois fhathast : Co thusa, ma ta, no ciod e t' ainm ?"
" Cha do sheas riamh," arsa Fionn, " air seiche mairt no eich
d' an aicheadhainn m'ainm. Is mise Fionn MacCumhaill,
mhic Luthaich, 'ic Threin, 'ic Fhinn, 'ic Airt, 'ic ard bg righ Eirinn ;
agus tha 'n t-am a nis dhomh dol dachaidh. Is gle allabanach a
thainig mi do 'n righeachd agad-sa ; agus is e sid an t-aobhar air
son an d'thainig mi, gu'm faighinn fios 'd e a' choire a rinn mi
ort, no 'd e 'n t-aobhar air son gu 'n do chuir thu tri gaisgich a
dh'iarraidh cbmhraig orm, agus a thoirt sgrios air mo chuid
dhaoine." " Cha d' rinn thu riamh coire orm-sa," thuirt an
righ ; " agus tha mi 'g iarraidh mile maitheanas Cha do chuir
mise na gaisgich a d' ionnsaidh, Cha'n i an fhirinn adh' innis
iad. 'S ann a bha 'n sid triuir dhaoine, agus bha iad a' leann-
anachd ri tri mnathan-sith; agus thug iad sin doibh an lein-
tean ; agus dar a bhios na leintean umpa, tha cbmhrag ceud an
laimh gach fir dhiubh. Ach feumaidh iad na leintean a chur
dhiubh a h-uile oidhche, agus an cur air cul chaithrichean ;
agus na'm biodh na leintean air an toirt bhuatha, bhiodh
iadsan an la-ar-n-mhaireach co lag ri daoine eile."
Fhuair Fionn gach urram, 's gach ni a b' urrainn an righ a
thoirt da ; agus an uair a dh'fhalbh e, chaidh an righ agus a
bhanrighinn, agus an sluagh sios gu cladach, a dh'fhagai'
beannachd aige.
Dh'fhalbh Fionn an so 'na churachan ; agus bha e a' sebladh
a sios ri taobh a' chladaich, dar a chunnaic e bganach 'na ruith
agus a' glaodhaich ris. Thainig Fionn a staigh dluth do thir
leis a' churachan, agus dh' fliiosraich e ciod a bha 'dhith air.
"Is mise," ars' an t-bganach, "gille math ag iarraidh maigh-
listir." " Ciod an obair a ni thu ?" arsa Fionn. " Is mise,"
ars' e-san, "am Fiosaiche a' s fearr a th' ann." " Leum a
staigh do 'n bhata, ma ta." Leum am Fiosaiche a staigh ;
agus ghabh iad air an aghaidh.
Cha b' fhad a chaidh iad dar a thainig an t-ath-bganach 'na
ruith. " Is mise," ars' e-san, " gille math ag iarraidh maighistir."
'"D e 'n obair a ni thu ?" arsa Fionn. " Is mise meirleach cho
math 's a th' ann." " Leum a staigh do 'n bhata, ma ta;" agus
thug Fidnn leis am fear so cuideachd. Chunnaic iad an so an
treas bganach a' ruith 's a' glaodhaich. Thainig iad dluth do
Finn Mac Coul. 191
thir, " 'D e 'n duine thiisa ?" thuirt Fionn. " Is mise," ars'
e-san, " an streapadair a 's fearr a th' ann ; bheir mi suas ceud
piind air mo mhuin 'san ait nach seas a' chuileag ri latha
ciiiin samhraidh." " Leum a staigh ;" agus thainig am fear so
a staigh cuideachd. " Tha mo rogha ghillean agam a nis,"
thuirt Fionn ; " cha 'n fheud e bhith nach dean iad so feum."
Dh'fhalbh iad ; agus stad cinn no coise cha d' rinn iad gus
an d'rainig iad cala Beinn Eudainn. Dh'fhoighneachd e de
'n Fhiosaiche 'd e a bha'n triiiir Fhear Mora a' deanamh.
"Tha iad," ars' e-san, "an deigh an suipeireach, agus a'
deanamh deas air son a dhol a laighe."
Dh'fhoighneachd e 'n dara uair. " Tha iad," ars' e-san, " an
deigh a dhol a laighe ; agus tha'n leintean air an sgaoileadh air
cul chaithrichean."
An ceann treis, dh'fhoighneachd Fionn dheth a ris, " 'D e
ris an robh na Fir Mhora a nis ?" " Tha iad," ars' am Fios-
aiche, "'nan trom shuain." " Bu mhath," arsa Fionn, "am
meirleach a nis a rachadh agus a ghoideadh na leintean."
" Dheanainn-sa sin," thuirt am meirleach, "ach gu bheil na
dorsan air an glasadh, agus cha 'n fhaigh mi a staigh."
Trobhad," ars' an streapadair, " air mo mhuin-sa, agus
cuiridh mise a staigh thu." Thog e suas air a mhuin e gu
muUach an t-simileir, agus leig e nuas e ; agus ghoid e na
leintean.
Chaidh Fionn far an robh an Fheinn ; agus anns a' mhad-
ainn thainig iad thun an taighe anns an robh an triiiir Fhear
Mora. Bhuail iad beum-sgeithe, agus dh'iarr iad orra tighin'
a mach gu comhrag.
Thainig iad a mach. " Is iomadh la," thuirt iadsan, " a bha
sinne ni 'b'fhearr gu comhrag na 'tha sinn an diu ;" agus
dh'aidich iad do Fhionn a h-uile ni mar a bha. " Bha sibh,"
arsa Fionn, " mi-mhodhail ;" agus thug e orra mionnachadh
gu'm biodh iad dileas da fhein am feasda tuilleadh, agus deas
anns gach cas a chuireadh e mu'n coinneimh.
(From very full notes taken of the tale as told by
Murdoch M'Intyre, Kilkenneth, Tiree, in January 1869.
-J. G. C.)
HOW FIONN FOUND HIS MISSING MEN.
On one occasion when the hunt {sealg 's sitJtiomi) was
lost, late in the evening, and in the dusk {anajiioc/i), a
man met Fionn and his men, and said to them :
" You need be under no anxiety ('j beag ruigeas sibJi
leas acram bin oirb/i), I will give half of you food and
board for a year and a day, and my brother the Red
from Teamhair {Fear Dearg a TeainJiair) will give food
and shelter to the other half."
There were twelve of Fionn's best men {inaitJiibJi)
amissing. Fionn vowed to find them, and when
he set out in search of them, he said to his men,
" Let no one who was born or brought up in
Ireland follow me" (^Na leanadh dnine ruga na tJioga an
Eirinn niise). It was a custom with Fionn when setting
out on a journey never to look behind him, or turn back,
a thing believed by many at the present day to be
unlucky. Fergus followed him ; Fionn hearing the sounds
behind him, and not caring to break his own custom or
injunction, called out, " Who is it that is following my
footsteps ?'^ {Co sid pi'opadJi mo cheaplaicJi ?) The words
used by him in this question are obsolete, but they are
valuable as remains of expression that probably date far
back in the history of the language. The answer he got
was, "I am here, one of your men and Fergus" (TJia
viise so, fear agiis Fearg/nis).
"Don't you know that not one born in Ireland may
follow me ? {Nach' eil fios agadsa iiach f/iaod fear rugadh
an Eirinn viise leantuinn P)
" But don't you also know that I was not born in
Ireland, but in Jura ?" (Ac/i nac/i' eil fhios agadsa nach
d' rugadh viise an Eirinn ach ann an Diura P)
Hozv Fionn found his Missing Men. 193
Fionn then went on, and found the missing men
playing Taileasg, in the middle of a mountain (mead/ion
monaidJi). [The Taileasg seems to have been a game
like draughts, if not actually the same, or a game akin
to it ; it may have been chess.] A long-haired Chief
{GruagacJi) came and offered hospitality (aoidheachd)
in the Little Hut of Talkativeness {aft Bbthan Beag na
BruidJine). [The name GruagacJi is derived ixova gruag, a
wig, and denotes a person wearing plenty of hair. It is
in this way that Gruagach denoted a Chief, it being the
privilege of freemen to w^ear long hair, as bondsmen
were compelled to have short hair {gearr fhaltacJi) ;
hence, also, supernatural beings, like the GruagacJi of the
Isle of Skye are represented as having the appearance of
a gentleman, even to the extent of wearing a chimney-
pot or beaver hat. Gniagac/i, at present, is a common
name for a young woman.] Goll said they would w^ait
for their master. When Fionn came, the Chief {GruagacJi)
returned and offered meat and drink {biadJi 's deocJi).
Fionn and his men went with the Chief, and on arriving
were put sitting on oaken benches, but no meat was
given them. The Chief was out and in, and told
Fionn that the Big Son of the King of Seana wanted
speech and talk till morning i^'TJia Mac IVIbr RigJi o
SJieanazdJi 'g iarraidJi cainnt 's cracaircacJid gu mad-
uimt"). Fionn told him to bring him in. " You better
bring him in," he said, "as I cannot keep him out."
Then it was told that the middle son {Mac MeadJi-
onacJi) of the King of Seana {RigJi 0 SJieanaidJi), with
sixteen men, similarly wanted admittance and conversa-
tion. They were shown in after the same preliminary
talk. Then the younger son, and sixteen more, came
in, in the same way. After that the King of Seana's
daughter, with sixteen attendant maidens, came in and
sat beside Fionn.
Fionn said, " You know well it was I slew your
13
194 '^^^^ Fians.
father and grandfather, and there never was a night in
which I could remember worse than to-night" Q'Cha
robh mi riarnJi oidhc]ie bii inliios' a cJniiniJineacJiadJi na
'nochd").
They said, there never was a night in which he could
remember better. Then the GriiagacJi (Chief) went out,
and, on returning, said there was a wild boar out {tore
nimhe), and told them to let one of the Feinne take it
in for food. Conan went out, and Goll with him, to
bring it in, though seven times its weight of earth {a
slieachd iirrnd fJiein do tJialamJi) stuck to it. They
brought it in, and Conan was sent to measure it against
the mane {an agJiaidJi a rannadJi). When the meat
was ready, the daughter of the King and Conan were
nibbling the head of the boar {crionia ceajin an Utirc).
She then said, " Finn MacCumal, a turn at wrestling I
would like to have from you" {''Fhiiui 'ic Cunihail, car
gleac a b" dill leain tiaif). Fionn answered, "Will you not
take the one that is standing?" {'' Nach gabh tJiu fear
tJia na sheasavih?'') Conan tried, but was thrown. He
was useless until he got over the first disgrace. At this
time Dermid released him. [While the Feinne w^ere
eating the boar, it was said that a bird could not take
in its bill the bone they had {naek d' thoireadh tan 'na
ghob endiniJi bJiiodJi aea). This, probably, was in allusion
to its size, and the bareness with which they ate the
flesh off it] The men of the King of Tara were getting
nothing, and one of them said :
" Fians, it is long since I heard how nasty your eating
a boar's flesh was, but I never saw it till to-night."
{"Gu dearbh, mJiuinntir naF6inne, 's fJiad o na eJiuala mi,
gnr mosaeh dJU itJieas sibh tore 's eJia-n fJiaea mi gus a
noehd e".)
Conan threw a bone at him, saying : " If you had
asked it sooner, you would have got it rougher" ("Na'u
How Fionn found his Missing Men. 195
(Tiarr tJm na bu luaitJi e,fhuair thu 71a bu niJiolaicJi e").
The man was killed by the bone.
The Chief was out and in, and said to Fionn : " Finn
MacCumal, a tall man with a black dog is asking for
a dog-fight from you" {^'■FJiinn ^ic Ciimhail, tJia fear mor
diibli 'g iarraidJi conihrag coin orf).
Conan went out, and the twelve other men of the
Fians with him, but their dogs were all killed. Fionn
then went out with Bran. There were millions of
people out before him, called up by some sleight of
hand {iodromanacJid). He began killing the men who
had killed the dogs. Bran's claws were kept covered ;
it went out, and in the hurry only one shoe was taken
off. Conan crept down and took off the other shoe.
Bran killed the Black Dog, and took the heart and
liver out of it {thug e 'w cridJie 's an griia^i as). It was
then that the owner of the Black Dog said (see tale of
"How Fin was in the House of the Yellow Field") :
" Were it not for wily Geola,
And Bran from the greatness of his strength,
No dog that a leash could be put on
Would be left by For west in the fort."
Conan then said : " That's you. Bran, my good fellow ;
avenge you your own contumely and disgrace, and I will
avenge my own leash of dogs" Q'Sin thusa laochain,
Bhrain, diogJiail tJiusa do tJidir agus do tJiailceas fhein,
agus diogJilaidli mise mo loinhainn cJion fhein "). They
went on killing the men ; there were sixteen strangers
in the house.
The Chief came in, and said : " Go out, Finn, and
check Bran and the men, for they have done enough of
harm" {air a inheud cron 's gu'n d rinn).
Conan came in and sent more men out.
Then all that were in rose against Fionn, and so
132
196 The Fians.
many of them fell about his feet, that the place in
which he was became too narrow iahiihleatJiahi). There
was a knife, or iodJiach, on Fionn's side that uttered a
cry {glaodJi) when he was within an inch of his life, and
was heard in the five-fifths of Ireland {aim an cbig
chbigibh na h-Eirinn).
The party with the Red King at Tara {Righ Dearg a
Teamhair) heard it, and waited till they heard it again.
They answered it, and when they came they found
Conan and twelve men perseveringly killing {dJia dJicng
cath mharbkadh). They stripped the bothy {Ruisg iad
(i bhbthag) and took out Fionn.
FIONN AND HIS MEN.
FlONN and nine of his nobles, among whom were Conan
and Goll with him, each with his leash of hounds {lodh-
ain cJiori), were in the hill hunting. At midday, having
found nothing, they rested on a hillock {cnoc seilge)
where game often passed, but they saw none coming.
Upon this, Fionn went a little apart, and put his finger
under his knowledge tooth {deud fios) to see what kept
the game away. When he came back he told them that
in a short time a hound with a white ear {gaodhar a
chinas bJiditi) would pass, and that they were not to
attack it, otherwise the chase would be hidden from the
Feinn for a day and seven years. When it passed, all
kept in their dogs ; but Bran, Fionn's own dog, broke
away, and gave chase to the strange dog. He chased it
through the hill, and the mud which the dog with the
white ear threw from his hind-paws struck Bran in the
mouth ; and the mud Bran threw from his fore-paws
struck the dog with the white ear in the tail. At last,
Fionn said: "Bran will break his heart" {'^ Sgdinidh Bran
a chridhe"), "and will not catch W^hite Ear ; let us go after
him." They went, and found Bran lying on the ground,
with his tongue lolling out, but without having caught
the stranger. " Well," said Fionn, " my good dog, I am
glad to find you, though unsuccessful, and though you
have driven the chase from us for a day and seven years.
We will now go home."
They went away, and towards dusk they saw a light.
They had lost their way, and were wandering through
the hill. They made for the light, and when they
reached it found the master {Gruagac/i) of the house at
the door. He blessed Fionn, and Fionn blessed him.
198 The Fians.
" We have lost our way,'^ said Fionn, " and we have
come to ask room and shelter for the night, if we are
welcome."
" You would get room and shelter in my house {sa
bhothan), though there were a hundred men with you."
The Feinn went in, and sat near each other in the
bothy. As Fionn looked at them to see if he had all his
men safe, he noticed that Goll was missing. He said he
would go himself and find him, and not a mother's son
born in Ireland was to attempt to follow him. " If I
find him, I will bring him ; and if I do not find him, I
will come back alone."
He had not gone far, when he heard a sound as of
some one straggling after him (Japragas). He turned,
and found it was Fergus who was following. " Little
bad Fergus," he said, " why do you follow me, when I
said not one born in Ireland was to come after me ?"
"Yes," said Fergus, " but I was born in Jura;" which
was the case. So Fionn allowed him with him.
They found Goll, and the Red Man from Tara {avi
Fear dearg a Teaj)ihair), playing at chess. This man
said to Fionn : " Be not under any anxiety for the Feinn,
though the chase is hid from you. You will divide your-
selves into two parties, and my brother will take the one
party and I will take the other, and we will feed you
ibeatJiaicJiidJi), and allow you to suffer no want."
Fionn thanked him for his offer, but said he could not
accept it ; he must go back to his men, and provide for
himself and them.
" But, Goll," he said, " were you afraid we could not
find food for you, when you went away and left ?"
" No," said Goll ; " but I was obliged to come and
play with this man."
After this they returned to the bothy, and the Feinn
sat near each other. By-and-by a noise was heard out-
side, and the master of the bothy {GruagacJi a' bhothain)
Florin and His Men. 199
went out, and came and said that the Son of the King
from Senny {Alac Righ o SJieanaidli) was outside with a
hundredattendants(^///t'rt;;^czV///^/(T'^(^2'<://cz'), seeking shelter;
would he admit them ? Fionn said he might, since he was
not strong enough to keep him out {o nacJi bu treise esan
git 'chuviail a inacJi). Before long, noise was again heard
outside ; the master of the house went out, and came in
saying, the second Son of the King of Senny was out-
side seeking admission. Fionn said he might come in, as
he was not stronger to keep him out ; and the King's son
came in with his hundred attendants. Before long the
third son of the King of Senny was in a similar manner
admitted, and there were thus in the house, Fionn Mac-
Cumal and his nine men, with a leash of dogs apiece,
and the King of Senny's three sons, with their three
hundred attendants and six hundred dogs. Each com-
pany kept together, and Fionn and his men sat close to
each other. Then the King of Senny's daughter and
her hundred handmaids {j)ia{ghdeanan coiinheadachd)
came, and was admitted in the same manner as her
brothers. After sitting down and looking about her,
and seeing her brothers, she said to Fionn that she would
try a bout of wrestling with him (^'coth'oin gleachd a
b" aill learn naif). He said it was not usual for him to
try feats of strength till his men were first defeated.
Conan was then put on the floor with her, and she threw
him and tied his four " smalls" — that is, his wrists and
ankles — together, and threw him behind the rest in a
corner. He lay there, and was hearing Goll laughing
and making fun among the King's daughter's maidens.
At last he cried out, " Goll, son of Morna, if I were a
maiden you would not allow me to lie here tied." " It
is true," said Goll ; and he went and loosened him. It
was said that Conan was not worth in any deed of strength
or daring till after he was once disgraced. When he got
200 The Fians.
loose he cried fair-play, and this being given, he again
wrestled the King's daughter and threw her down.
When they had sat awhile, she asked Fionn to go out
and bring in a wild boar that was lying at the door, to
make food for the assembled company. He said he had
never been without a servant, and it was only when they
could not do it that he performed any such menial duty,
and she told one of his men to go out and take in the
boar. He went, but enchantments {draoidJieachd) were
laid on the boar, so that he could not move it. He sent
another, but he also failed ; and so with the rest of the
nine. Fionn said he would go and take it in himself,
though seven times its own weight of earth stuck to it.
He went and took it in. Conan dressed it and made it
ready. He got as his own share the jaw-bone, and as
he was picking it one of the King of Senny's men asked
it of him. "If you had asked it earlier you would have
got it rougher" (or with more flesh upon it) {Na 'n iarradJi
tu na bu traitJH e cJmirinn na bu m/iolaich' e"), and he
threw the bone at him and knocked him down.
Then the King of Senny's eldest son asked for a fight
of dogs.
The incident of the dog-fight is well told in a version
preserved in Stewart's Collection, p. 558. (Only the
English need be here given.)
The Dog-fight between Bran and the
Black Dog.
On a day that we were in the hunting-hill
Seldom were we without dogs,
Listening to the cries of birds,
Roarinsf of deer and elks.
Fioitn and his Men. 201
We did slaughter, doubtless,
With our dogs and death-inflicting weapons ;
And came to our dwelling at noon,
Joyful, musical, and with right good will.
That night in Fionn's dwelling,
Dear me ! delightful was our condition
As we struck strings.
And ate birds, deer, and elk.
Early rose Fionn next day,
Before sun-rise,
And he saw coming on the plain,
between the hills and the sea,
A man with a red cloak and a black dog.
Like this was his appearance :
His two cheeks were as ripe fruit,
His breast was like mountain-down.
Though his hair happened to be black.
He came to us for increase of enjoyment,
This fine lad, so desirable ;
On his appearance no shadow would rest.
Asking from the rest a dog-fight.
We let towards him at the beginning of the fight
The best hounds within our walls.
The Black Dog, rough was his onset :
Killed by him were a caogad of dogs.
Then Fionn spoke :
" This is a contest that is not weak."
He turned his back to the people.
And, with a frown, struck Bran.
Victorious Bran looked at him,
Wondering that he should strike him.
" The hand with which I struck Bran,
Pity from the shoulder it was not separated.
202 The Fians.
Then Bran shook the golden chain,
Among the people loud was its yelp,
His two eyes burned in its head,
And his bristles rose for the fight.
" Take the thong from my dog without delay :
Good was his prowess till to-day ;
And let us see sharp strife
Between Bran and the Black Dog.
" Goodly-shaped was my dog.
Its neck-joint far from its head ;
The middle broad, its side burly,
Its elbow sloping, and its claw crooked.
" Yellow paws Bran had.
Two black sides, and underneath white.
The back green (on which hunting would rest),
Erect ears strongly red."
They placed the dogs nose to nose,
Among the people they shed blood.
That was a strong, rough struggle
Before the Black Dog was left dead by him.
" I thought there was not in the Fian host
(Said Eibhinn Oision from the place of tying dogs)
One dog, for all its prowess.
That could give For a deadly wound.
" Were it not for every twist and trick
That Bran had, and its very great strength.
No dog that could be bound with a thong
Would be left by him west in our fort.
" Many a fair, brown maiden,
Of bluest eye and golden yellow hair,
In the kingdom of the King, Tork's Son,
That would give my dog food to-night."
Fionn and his Men. 203
The true, generous hero buried,
In a narrow clay bed, his dog ;
And the Fians buried
In that west fort (fifty?) dogs.
We went with MacCumhaill of golden cups
To play, and to the fort.
King ! joyful and full was our dwelling,
Though none are to-day within its walls.
HOW FIONN FOUND BRAN.
The same kind of incidents as are to be found in the
tale of "How Finn went to the Kingdom of Big Men"
(see tale) about the employment of strangers, occurs in
this tale also ; and the whole being the product of the
imagination, these tales merely show the grooves in
which the human fancy runs. Some of the incidents
also may occur in other stories not connected with the
Fians.
The chase was lost to the Fians. On that occasion,
when Fionn was out one day alone, and unaccompanied
by any of his men, a man met him, whom he questioned
as to the object of his journey, or where he was going.
The stranger answered that he was a good servant in
search of employment. Fionn then asked him what he
could best do. He replied, that he never slept a wink
all his life; and Fionn took him into his service. Another
met him, and Fionn asked him where he was going, or
what was the object of his journey. He said that he
was a good servant in search of a master, and Fionn
asked him what he was good at. He said that when he
listened, he could hear the very grass coming through
the ground ; and Fionn engaged this one also. He then
met another, and asked the object of his journey, and
where he meant to go. He said the same as the others,
that he was a good servant in search of work, and Fionn
asked him what he was best at. He told that he was
good at keeping a hold of what he got. " The grasp I
get, I never let go." This one was also engaged by
Fionn. Still another met him, and after being ques-
tioned, and answering in the same way, he said that he
was a good thief, that he could steal its egg from the
How Fioiin found Bi'an. 205
heron though it was looking on with its eyes wide open ;
and Fionn engaged him. Yet another met him, and
in the same manner Fionn questioned him, and, replying
as the others had done, he added that he could climb a
wall though it was covered with eel-skin. This one
was also engaged. Another then met them, and was
asked about the object of his journey. He replied as
those before him did, and that every stone cast he flung
from him would become a stone and lime wall. This
one was also engaged. Another met them. He was
asked, as before, about his journey and its object. He
answered that he was a good servant in search of
employment. Being asked what he could do best, he
said that he was a good marksman, and would not miss
a hair's-breadth with an arrow. Fionn engaged this
man also.
He had now his full complement of men. He him-
self, and the company of them, began to walk onwards.
In the evening they came to the King's palace. Fionn
observed that the King was sad, and questioned him
about the cause of his sadness. The King told him
that he had great reason ; that the Queen was in child-
bed, this being the third child, and the babes were
stolen shortly after their birth. Fionn said to him, "If
ever you got them kept, you will get them kept to-
night."
When the child was born, Fionn said to the one who
never slept to keep close at hand to the babe's mother.
Then to the One who could hear the grass coming
through the ground when he listened, to sit near the
other, and, " You who can take the strong firm hold, be
found near them." The musical Harper was heard
coming to the house. Every person in the dwelling
began to fall asleep. The One who never slept began
to keep them awake. Then they saw a Hand coming
in through the house towards the child. The One who
2o6 The Fians.
could take the firm grasp rose and seized the hand, but
the Hand pulled him — i.e., the One that was in the
house — out half-way. The One inside made another
attempt, and took off the arm from the shoulders of the
One outside. He himself fell, and before he could rise
up, the One that was outside put in a hand and took
with him the child. Fionn was troubled, as he had said
to the King that he would keep the child.
The King was in great anxiety and deep distress, and
the Queen also was deeply grieved. Fionn then said that
the sky would make a nest in his head and the earth a
hollow in his feet " if I do not find your children for
you".
On the morrow he launched the galley that was seven
years and seven days being tarred and caulked. He and
his men went in her to sail the proud seas. They reached
a wild, extensive country; they drew the galley up on the
green grass while they betook themselves some distance
through the country. They did not go far through it
when they met a house with its walls covered with eel-
skin. " The man," said Fionn, " who can climb a wall
covered with eel-skin, climb up and look what you can
see." The One climbed up. When he returned he said,
" There is a great warrior (giant) sitting in the house ;
he is one-armed. He has a child on the palm of his
hand, and two other children are playing on the floor
beside him." Fionn then said : " The One who can take
its &g^ from the heron when she is looking at it with both
eyes, put your hands round his neck, and he will take
you up and get the babes." He went up and caught
the two boys who were playing, and at last seized the
one on the palm of the giant's hand. He then saw a
nest with- three puppies in it, which he lifted away
with him. They (the whole of Fionn's company) now
set off for the shore. On looking behind they saw the
mother of the puppies coming after them. Then Fionn
How Fionn found Bran. 207
said, " You that can make a wall of stone and lime from
every stone-cast you throw, begin to throw." Notwith-
standing this, the mother of the pups was gaining on
them ; they then loosened one of the pups. It was not
long after, however, before they had to unloose another.
When the mother got that one she returned. On reach-
ing the galley they launched it, taking the three boys
and the pup with them. They were but moving from
the shore when they observed the warrior or giant
coming with all speed and fury. He was making the
sea phosphorescent and like a serpent-bite after them.
Fionn in that hour said : " You that can make good use
of an arrow, come near me."
The giant had only one eye in his forehead. The first
arrow that was launched pierced the giant's eye. In
spite of that, however, he was still coming, but the
marksman did not once miss his aim. They were not
long in leaving him floating dead on the surface of the
current. Fionn returned safely to the King's palace
with the three sons of the King.
" Now," said the King, "whatever you ask, to the half
of my kingdom, will be granted."
" I prefer finding your children to the whole of your
kingdom," said Fionn, " since I said they would be pre-
served to you."
Then Fionn paid the men whom he had employed
their wages, and gave them their liberty. He returned
himself to his own men, and never parted with the pup.
Since he was successful in his journey, he called the dog
Victorious Bran.
Mar Fhuair Fionn Bran.
Bha an t-sealg air a casgadh air an Fheinn. Air do Fhionn,
san am bhi latha mach gun duine leis ach e fhein, thachair
fear air. Chuir Fionn ceisd air, gu de ceann a thuruis, no c'
2o8 The Fians.
aite an robh e dol. Fhreagair e gum b' e gille math bha ag
iarraidh maighstir 's dh' fliarraid Fionn dheth gu de bha e math
air. Thuirt e ris nach d' rinn e lochd cadail riamh agus dh'
fhastaidh e e. Thachair an ath fliear air 's chur e cheist air c' aite
an robh e dol na 'de ceann a thuruis. Thuirt e gum bu ghille
math e ag iarraidh maighstir. Dh' fharraid Fionn a so 'de bha
e math air. Thuirt e ris dar dh' eisdeadh e gu 'n cluinneadh e
feur tighinn roi' an talamh, 's dh' fliastaidh e 'm fear so mar an
ceudna. Thachair an ath-fhear air 's chur e cheist air 'de
ceann a thuruis na c' aite an robh e dol. Thuirt e mar thuirt
an fheadhainn eile gum bu ghille math e ag iarraidh maighstir 's
dh' fharraid Fionn gude bha e math air. Dh' innis e gu 'n robh
e math air an rud a gheibheadh e chumail aige. " An greim a
gheibh mi ann am laimh cha do leig mi riamh as e," agus dh'
fhastaidh Fionn am fear so cuideachd. Thachair an ath-fhear
air 's chuir e cheist air gu de ceann a thuruis na c' aite an robh a
dol. Thuirt esan mar thuirt iadsan bha roi' gum bu ghille
math e 's dh' fharraid e 'de bha e math air 's thuirt e gu 'n robh e
math air goid 's gu'n goideadh e 'n t-ubh bho 'n churra 's da
shuil 'ga fheathamh. Dh' fhastaidh e 'm fear sin. Thachair sin
fear eile air 's anns a 'cheart doigh chuir Fionn ceisd
air, fhreagair e mar rinn each 's bharrachd thuirt e ris
gu 'n streapadh e balla ged bhiodh e air chomhdacha le craic-
ionnfeasgan. Dh' fhastaidh e 'm fear sin. Thachair an ath-fhear
air chuir e ceist air c' aite an robh e dol na 'de ceann a thuruis ;
's gille math mi, ars esan, ag iarraidh maighstir, 's mar thuirt
an fheadhainn bha roi, agus n' h-uile spitheag a chaitheadh e gu 'n
deanamh e balla cloiche 's aol dhi, 's dh' fhastaidh e 'm fear sin.
Thachair an ath-fhear air 's chuir Fionn a 'cheart cheisd air
c' aite an robh e dol na 'de ceann a thuruis. Thuirt e gum bu
ghille math e bha ag iarraidh maighstir 's dh' fharraid e gu de
bha e math air. Thuirt e gu 'n robh e math air saighead 's nach
mearachdaicheadh e leud na roineig. Dh' fhastaidh e am fear
sin 's bha nis a ghillean aige. Thug e fliein 's iad fhein gu
coiseachd 's gu ioniachd 's ann an tighinn na h-oidhche thainig
iad gu tigh an Righ. Dh' fhairich Fionn gu'n robh an righ
fo sprochd 's chuir e ceist air, " Gu de fath sprochd ?" Thuirt
an Righ ris gum bu mhbr sud. Gu 'n robh a' bhean aige ri
Mar Fkuair Fionn B^'an. 209
saothair cloinne 's gur e so an treasa aon chloinne 's gu'n robh
na leanaban 'gan goid niu 'm bitheadh iad ach tacain air an t-
saoghal. Thuirt Fionn ris, " Ma fhuar thu an gleidheadh
riamh gheibh thu an gleidheadh an nochd." Mar thainig
an leanabh, thuirt Fionn ris an Ihear nach d' rinn cadal riamh
e shuidhe suas laimh ri mathair an leanaibh, agus sin ris an
fhear chluinneadh am feur tighinn roi an talamh. " Suidh dluth
dha," " 's fhir a ni an greim mor bi thusa lamh riu." Chual' iad
an cruiteara ceol-mhbr tighinn ionnsuidh an tighe. Thoisich
gach duine bha stigh air dol 'nan cadal. Fear nach d' rinn
lochd cadail riamh, thoisich e air an cumail 'nan dusgadh.
Chunnaic iad sin lamh tighinn stigh roi 'n tigh, deanamh air
an leanabh. Dh' eirich am fear a dheanadh an greim mbr
's rug e air an Laimh. Thug i fear bha stigh mach gu leth 's
thug am fear bha stigh an ath-spiona, 's thug e 'n Lamh bho 'n
t-shlinnean as an fliear bha muigh 's thuit e fhein 's mu 'n d'
eirich e shin am fear bha muigh a lamh a stigh 's thug e leis
an leanabh. Bha Fionn fo thrioblaid bho 'n thuirt e ris an righ
gum faigheadh e 'n leanabh a ghleidheadh. Bha an righ fo
iomaguin 's fo iarguin chruaidh 's cha b' i 'bhan-righ a b'
fhearr, na 'bu lugha bha caoidh na cloinne. Sin thuirt Fionn,
" Ni an t-athar nead 'nam cheann 's an talamh lag 'nam bhonn,
mur faigh mi dhuit do chuid cloinne."
Maireach chuir e mach bhirlinn bha seachd lathan 's seachd
bliadhna 'ga tearradh 's 'ga calcadh 's dh' fhalbh e fhein 's a
chuid ghillean innte 's thug iad gu siubhal a 'chuain uaibhreach.
Rainig iad duthaich fhad fhiadhaich, tharruing iad Bhirlinn
suas an talamh glas 's chaidh iad fhein ceumannan mach
feadh na tire. Cha d' imich iad fad air a feadh dar chunnaic
iad tigh 's a bhalla air chomhdach le craicionn feasgan.
" Fhir," orsa Fionn, " a streapadh balla air chomhdachah le
craicionn feasgan streap suas feuch 'de chi thu." Chaidh e suas
's dar thainig e nuas, thuirt e, " Tha ceatharnach mor 'na
shuidhe ann 's gun air ach an leth lamh is leanabh aige air a
bhois 's da bhalachan ag iomain feadh an urlar lamh ris."
Thuirt Fionn, " Fhir ghoideadh an t-ubh bho 'n churra 's da
shuil 'ga fheitheamh cuir do dha laimh mo 'amhaich 's bheir e
suas thu 's faigh na leanaban." Chaidh e suas 's ghoid e 'n da
14
2 1 o The Fians.
bhalachan bha ag iomain agus ghoid e mu dheireadh am fear
bh' air a bhois. Chunnaic e sin nead agus tri chuileannan
ann 's thog e leis iad. Ghabh iad uile sin thun a chladaich.
Chunnaic iad mathair nan cuileanan tighinn as an deigh. An
sin thuirt Fionn, " Fhir dheanadh balladh cloiche 's aoil do 'n
h-uile spitheag chaitheadh tu, toisich air an caitheadh."
'Na dheighinn so bha i teannamh orra 's leig iad as dhi fear
do na cuileanan, 's cha b' fhada gus am b' eigin doibh an ath-
fhear a leigeil as 's nar fliuair i am fear sin thill i. Rainig iad
sin a 'bhirlinn 's charaich iad mach i, agus an triuir bhalachan
's an cuilean aca. Cha robh iad ach gluasad bho 'n chladach
mar mhothaich iad am fomhair 'na luathas 's 'na theas a' tighinn.
Bha e cur na fairge mar theine sionnachain 's mar nathair bheum-
nach as an deigh. Thuirt Fionn san uair ud, " Fhir tha maith
air an t-saighead suidh dliath dhomh." Cha robh aig an
Fhomhair ach aon suil 'an clar 'n aoduinn. A 'chiad saigh-
ead a chaith am fear chuir e san t-suil i, 's as dheigh sin bha
e tighinn air aghaidh 's cha do mhearachdaich esan saighead do
na thilg e.
Cha b' fhada gus an d' fhag iad marbh air uachdar an t-sruth
e. Sin thainig Fionn sabhailt air ais gu tigh an Righ 's triuir
mhacan an Righ aige.
" Nis," orsa an Righ, "gu leth mo rioghachd tha t-iarrtus
agad ri fhaotuinn."
" 'S fhearr leamsa ors Fionn, gu 'n d' uair mi do chuid
cloinne na do rioghachd air fad, seach 's gu 'n dubhairt mi gum
bitheadh iad air an gleidheadh dhuit."
Sin phaigh Fionn an luchd-tuarasdail 's leig e gu cead
an coise iad, agus phill e air ais a dh' ionnsuidh chuid
dhaoine fhein, ach cha do dhealaich e ris a 'chuilean 's a
chionn 's gu 'n d' eirich gu math dha air a thuruis, thug e Bran
Buadhach mar ainm air.
FIONN AND BRAN.
The leading incidents in this tale are closely analogous
to those of the tale of " How Fin went to the Kingdom of
Big Men" (see page 176). The cause of Fionn's going to
the region of Big Men is, however, different, and in this
version is also noticeable the swearing upon cold iron,
and the prominence given to his dog Bran, who had
a venomous or death-inflicting claw. Universally in
Celtic lore, Finn MacCumal figures as he is here re-
presented, as extremely careful of his honour and
dignity, trustworthy as a friend, and resolute in solving
any question or problem. To such a man it is no
wonder that the popular mind became attached, and
ultimately raised him almost to be a model of what a
king, or nobleman, or gentleman ought to be.
The swearing upon cold iron or on the dirk is a well-
known practice ascribed to former generations of High-
landmen. The dirk, which was a universal accompani-
ment of Highland dress, was the readiest form which
presented itself of cold iron or steel, the power of which
against fairies, ghosts, and all supernatural things was
universally believed in, and this form of oath was the
most solemn and binding that could be thought of, more
so and more rational than "bussing the book", as was
known and practised in English courts of law.
The prowess of the dog Bran was the subject of winter
evening tales as much as the sword which Fionn was
alleged to have had, and which left not a remnant of its
blow {nacli d' fhag fuigheal beuni), i. e., that never re-
quired a second blow, the first cutting its way completely
through whatever object it struck. The other wonderful
14^
2 1 2 The Fians.
instrument belonging to Fionn was the Ord Fhinn, or
Fian Hammer, which could be heard in the five-fifths,
or over the whole of Ireland {coig coigeamJi na Ji-Eirimi).
In some tales a sgiatJi or shield is mentioned, instead of
this hammer, and whoever heard it, of the Fian band, was
bound to hasten to the rescue of those of their number
who might be in danger. Fionn's wonderful knowledge-
tooth {Deud fios), which enabled him to solve any ques-
tion udien he put his finger below it, was also a subject
of marvellous incidents. The tale is
FiONN AND Bran.
Fionn was out one day in front of his house looking
about him, and no one was with him but Bran his dog,
when he saw a coracle coming to the shore. He went
to the edge of the beach to have a look at it. Then it
drew near and grounded ; three big men one by one
jumped out of it. They put their backs to it, and put it
up seven steps seven fathoms and seven times its own
length on the green grass. They put the masts and
sails underneath and turned it over, so that no one
coming or going could move or launch it. The big men
came to meet Fionn.
" Well," said the foremost of them, " what news has
the herd-boy who has the little dog?"
" I have none," said Fionn, " unless I hear one from the
big men who have come from the sea."
" Our news are that we have come to hold war and
combat with Finn MacCumal, and go you up cleverly
and bring him down."
Thus they said, one after another of them, till at last
Fionn was obliged to say he would go ; but " I lay you
under crosses and spells, and the nine fetters of a roam-
ing fairy woman, a hornless or bald-headed calf, worse
than its name, to take your head off without wages, that
Fiona and Bran. 2 1 3
you leave not the place that you are in traversing the
shore till I return." He left, and putting out a coracle
that was above the shore, went away, taking with him
Bran. He sailed over the sea with tide and wind till he
reached the Kingdom of Big Men. When he reached
land he drew up the coracle seven feet seven fathoms
and seven steps on the green grass, and put the sails
and masts, the baling-dish and oars, underneath it, and
turned it over, so that no one coming the way could
move or launch it, and went up to take a look at the
country. He did not go far when he saw before him a
very tall man going round a tree, and he stepped towards
him. Fionn said it was a good day, and the big man
said it was. " What news has the dwarf with the lap-
dog?" said he to Fionn.
" I have little news," said Fionn, " unless I hear such
from the big man who is going round tne tree."
" The biggest news that I have," he said, " is this, that
it is long since the King has wanted a dwarf and small
dog, and that I have them now to bring them to him."
" I am surprised that you spend the day going about
that tree," said Fionn.
"It is for firewood," the big man said.
He dragged the tree with him, took Fionn and Bran,
and the three went away together. They had not gone
far dragging the tree when another big man met them.
" It is long since," he said, when he saw Fionn and Bran,
" the King wanted a dwarf and small dog, and I have
them here now to bring them to him."
" They belong to me," said the other, " and I will take
them to the King." They both began to fight. When
they had grown tired, the one who met them last said :
" How little sense we are showing in the work we are
doing ! Had we not better lay the matter before the
dwarf himself?"
They did this, and Fionn said if there was a differ-
2 1 4 The Fians.
ence of choice for better or worse he would follow the
first one whom he met, whether it was for good or
ill to him, and he followed him. They now prepared
a place and kindled a fire with the log of wood they
had taken with them, made ready meat, and took their
dinner. When they had finished, the big man lifted
Fionn on the palm of one hand and Bran on the other
and went to the King. The King was greatly delighted,
and put them in his own chambers. They were to
remain with the King for a year and a day, to give him
pleasure. The dwarf slept near where the King was, and
he observed that the King rose every night, went away,
and returned at dawn cold and wet, and he asked him
wl;iat he meant by going out in that way.
" What need I tell that to the like of you ?" said the
King.
" For all that," said Fionn, " you may tell it."
" Not to-night," said the King ; " go you to sleep as
usual."
On the following night Fionn said to him: "I never had
a master who would not tell me something of his mind
but yourself, and if you will not tell me the reason of
your going away like that every night, I will not stay
here any longer."
" What good will it do me to tell it to so small a
being as you are ?" said the King.
" A small man may give good advice," said Fionn.
" No one is so wise as not to be the better of sound
advice ; and tell me now what it is that is troubling
you?"
" I am seventeen years without sleep or rest," said the
King, " because of a huge monster who is coming
ashore every night to take from me my kingdom."
" Go to rest to-night," said Fionn, " and allow me to
go to meet it."
" You will be destroyed," said the King.
Fionn and Bran. 215
" You may go to sleep for that part, without any
care," said Fionn.
" I have need of that," said the King.
Fionn and Bran were not long at the shore when they
saw the great monster coming, one blubbery eye in its
forehead, the sea, phosphorescent and heavy, rolling
before it, and a seething-white and loudly-roaring sea
here and there after it : with the speed of its coming,
and the greatness of its strength, it sent its head its
own length up on the beach.
" Yes," it said, " what news has the little man who
has the small dog?"
" I am sorry that I have that to tell," said Fionn ;
" the King is dead, and his nobles sent me to-night to
ask you to stay away, this one night, until they would
get another, instead of him, to hold combat with you."
"May I believe what you say, little man?" said the
Beast.
" I am not covetous of telling lies," said Fionn.
When the King awoke, he cried out in great fear :
'My kingdom is taken from me, and my dwarf and lap-
dog are lost to me !"
" Your kingdom is preserved to you, and your dwarf
and lap-dog are here," said Fionn.
The King w^as greatly delighted when he heard Fionn
speaking. " It is not known," he said, " when I got such
rest and sleep."
Next night the King made ready to go, but Fionn said
that he had better let himself go this night yet. When
he and Bran reached the shore, he was not long there
till he saw the sea coming phosphorescent and in great
billows, and the Great Beast with one lumpish eye in
its forehead, with the ocean in white foam on every
side, both before and after, coming towards him ; and
with the speed of its coming, and the greatness of its
strength, it dried itself on the beach.
2 1 6 The Fimis.
" What news has the Httle man who has the lap-dog
to-night ?" it said.
" I have none," said Fionn ; " but that the nobles of
the kingdom sent me to tell you to return to-night yet,
for the Queen fell dead when they were putting the
King in the coffin."
" May I believe that ?" it said.
" I don't covet lies," said Fionn.
" Certainly ; that is worse for you," it said.
Fionn returned home, and went to sleep at the King's
feet. When the King awoke, he cried out : " My dwarf
and lap-dog are amissing, and that is not the worst, but
my kingdom is taken from me !"
" I believe that that is what you most lament — the
loss of your kingdom ; but your dwarf and lap-dog are
here, and you have your kingdom yet."
This gave great relief to the King. He asked Fionn
what the Beast appeared like this night.
" I was not at all frightened for it," said Fionn.
When the next night came, the King was not for
letting him go. " You have done much good to give
me such rest, and I will go to encounter it myself to-
night."
" It has no evil intention," said Fionn, " and I may get
leave to go to-night yet."
" It will not be so bad to you, at any rate," said the
King.
Fionn took Bran with him. He had not long to wait
this night when he saw it, the sea, coming phospho-
rescent before it, in great billows and seething foam,
here and there, and as a roaring sea after it ; and with
the speed of its coming, and the greatness of its strength,
it laid its head its whole length on the beach.
" What news has the little man who has the dog to-
night?" it said.
" That," said Fionn, " it is absurd of such a great
Fionn and Bran. 2 1 7
Monster as you are to be night after night listening to
lies from such a small being as I am."
" Is that how it is ?" it said. " You may prepare to
take care of yourself, then," and putting on an appearance
of great wrath, it leaped to attack Fionn, and was well-
nigh wearing him out.
Fionn looked at Bran and said : " Are you not likely
to remember me to-night at all. Bran?" Bran rose,
went round them, and went back where he was before.
The wrestling was becoming worse for Fionn, and he
looked again at Bran. " You are like to forget me
altogether to-night. Bran."
Bran got up, and took a second turn round them, and
sat where he was before. The contest was now goinsf
so much against Fionn, that he was growing faint. He
looked at Bran and said : " Bran, you need not rise any
more, I am gone ; what you have done for me, you will
never do again ; there is no help for me."
Bran got up and went round till it was behind the
Monster ; it uncovered its venomous claw, put it in its
back, and in the twinkling of an eye the heart and liver
were out. Fionn threw off the head with his sword, and
was part of the way carrying it and part of the way
rolling it before him, till he reached the house. He put
it on a pole before the palace, with the big goggle eye
looking towards the King's window, and he went in
softly and stealthily to his place at the feet of the King.
At midnight the King awoke in great fear; he cried out,
" My kingdom is lost to me, and I have neither dwarf
nor lap-dog left !"
" Neither of them are awanting to you," said Fionn ;
" and if you don't believe it, look out, and you will see
for yourself."
The King^ did so, and when he saw the head and eye
of the Great Monster, he fell on his knees beside the
bed on which Fionn lay. "It is long since," he said,
2i8 The Fians.
" it was foretold that Finn MacCumal was to give
rest both to me and to my kingdom. You are Finn
MacCoul."
" You do not deserve forgiveness from me," said
Fionn. " You sent three big men to my kingdom to
combat me without any provocation."
" These are three men who are not observant of any
law ; they are not my friends, and they have fairy
women, who have made them shirts, but when these are
taken off they will be as other men. I will give you a
drink to make them sleep. When you come to the
shore, where they are, you will throw the stoups con-
taining the sleeping-draught near them, and when you
get them asleep, you will get an opportunity of getting
the shirts from them."
Fionn launched the coracle, and Bran and himself
returned. When they were close to the shore, Fionn
threw out the stoup containing the sleeping-draught.
The big men were traversing the shore as he left them.
The stoup met one of them ; he knocked out its head
and drank the contents, and then he fell into a deep
sleep. Fionn threw out another and a third, and the
three men were lying equally overcome. He then went up,
took off the shirts, and shook the men to awaken them.
" You are here," he said.
" We are," they replied.
" And you are as other men, and I have power and
chance to take your lives ; you will not be released
without coming under a bond of law."
They said they would submit to any covenant by
which he would bind them, and they swore on the cold
sword to stand by him in right or in wrong ; and at any
time he might be in danger or difficulty he had only to
think of them, and they would be with him wherever
he might be, but to restore to them their shirts. And
when Fionn went home the entertainment was the fourth
greatest ever held among the Fians.
Fionn 's Bran. 219
FiONN 's Bran.
Bha Fionn mach niu choinneamh an taighe aon latha gabhail
seallaidh, 's gun aige ach e fhein 's Bran, dar chunnaic e
curach a' tighinn dh' ionnsuidh tir. Chaidh e sios gu braigh
chladaich a dh' amharc oirre 's dar bhuail i sron air an traigh
leum aisde triuir fheara mora fear mu seach 's chuir iad an
dromannan rithe 's thog iad suas i seachd ceumannan seachd
aitheamh 's seachd fada fhein ann am feur glas, 's chuir iad na
croinn 's na siuil fo 'beul 's chuir iad a beul foidhpe, far nach
faigheadh fear thigeadh na dh' fhalbhadh a carachadh na 'cur
mach. Thainig na fir mhora an codhail Fhinn. " Seadh," ors
a chiad fhear, " de naigheachd a' bhalaich bhuachaille aig am
bheil am measan?"
" Cha 'n 'eil naigheachd sam bith," ors Fionn, "mur faigh mi i
o na fir mhbra thainig thar a' chuain."
" 'S e 'n naigheachd sin gu 'n d' thainig sinn chumail cath 's
comhrag ri Fionn Mac Cumhail, 's leum suas gu tapanta 's thoir
a nuas e." Thuirt iad mar so fear an deigh fir dhiu gus am b'
fheudar dha mu dheireadh a radhainn gu 'n rachadh, " Ach tha
mi 'g 'ur cur-sa fo chroisean 's fo gheasan 's fo naoi buaraichean
na mna sith siubhlach, laogh maol carach na's miosa na 'ainm,
thoirt a' chinn gun chosnadh dhibh gun sibh dh' fhagail an
aite sa bheil sibh a' siubhal a' chladaich gus an till mise rithist."
Dh' fhalbh e, 's chuir e mach curachan bha am braigh chladaich
's thug e leis Bran. Bha e siubhal a' chuain le sruth 's le soirbh-
eas gus an d' rainig e Rioghachd nam Fear Mora. Dar rainig
e tir tharruin e suas an curachan, seachd traidhean, seachd aith
eamhnan, seachd ceumanan ann am feur glas, 's chuir e na siuil,
's na croinn 's na taomain 's na raimh fo 'beul, 's chuir e air a beul
fodha i far nach fhaigheadh am fear thigeadhan rathad a car-
achadh n' a cur a mach, 's ghabh e suas a ghabhail seallaidh air an
duthaich. Cha deachaidh e ach beagan astair dar chunnaic e roi'
fear mor a' dol mu 'n cuairt air craoibh 's ghabh e ceum far an
robh e. Mhol Fionn an latha dha 's mhol am fear mor an latha
dha-san. " De naigheachd an troich aig am bheil am measan ?''
ors esan ri Fionn.
2 20 The Fians.
" Cha 'n 'eil bheag sam bith do naigheachd agamsa," ors'
Fionn, " mur fhaigh mi aig an fhear mhor tha dol mu 'n cuairt
na craoibhe i."
" Se naigheachd 's motha agamsa," thuirt esan, " gur fliada
bho 'n tha an Righ ag iarraidh troich 's measan 's gu bheil iad
agamsa nis air son an toirt g' a ionnsuidh."
" Tha e cur iongantais orm thu bhi cur seachad an latha dol
timchioll na craoibhe sin," ors Fionn. '"S ann air son cuallach
connaidh tha i," ors am fear mor. Dhraigh e leis i, 's Fionn 's
Bran 's dh' fhalbh iad comhla 'nan triuir. Cha deachaidh iad fad
air an rathad a' draghadh na craoibhe nar thachair fear mor eile
orra. Dar chunnaic e Fionn 's Bran thuirt e, " '3 fliada o 'n tha
an Righ air son troich 's measan fhaighinn, tha iad so agam nis
's bheir mi fhein g' a ionnsuidh iad."
" Se mo throich 's mo mheasan-sa th' ann," thuirt am fear
eile, '"s fagaidh mi fhein aig an Righ iad." Thoisich iad 'nan
dithis air tapaid 's dar bha iad sgith, thuirt am fear thachair orra
mu dheireadh, " Nach beag ciall tha 'san obair th' againn, b'
fhearr dhuinn ceist a chur air an troich ! Co fear 's fliearr leis a
leantuinn?" Rinn iad so 's thuirt Fionn ma bha diu 'na roghainn
ann gu 'n leanadh esan a chiad fhear thachair air, co aca 'sann gu
'olc na gu 'mhaith a bhitheadh e, 's lean e e. Rinn iad nis aite
's chuir iad teine briagh air doigh leis a' chual chonnaidh 's
dheasaich iad biadh 's ghabh iad an dinneir. Dar bha iad
ullamh, thog am fear mor Fionn air an darna bois 's Bran air
a' bhois eile dh' ionnsuidh an Righ. Thug e toileachadh mor
do 'n Righ, 's chuir e 'san t-seomar aige fhein iad. Bha iad ri
bhi aig an Righ gu ceann latha 's bliadhna air son toilinntinn
thoirt da. Bha an troich cadal faisg do 'n aite san robh an Righ,
's bha e tighinn fainear dha gu 'n robh an Righ ag eiridh
h-uile oidhche 's a' falbh, 's gu 'n tilleadh e 'm beul an latha
fuar fliuch, 's chuir e ceisd air, de bu chiall dha bhi flilbh
mar sud.
"De ni sin domhsa innseadh do d' leithid-sa," ors an Righ.
"Coma sin," orsa Fionn, "innis thus' e." "Cha'n annan nochd,"
ors an Righ; "caidil thusa mar tha thu." An ath oidhche thuirt
Fionn ris, " Cha robh maighstir agam fhein riamh nach innseadh
rud-eiginn da bheachd dhomh ach thu fhein, 's mur innis thu
Fionn ' s Bran. 221
'de an t-aobhar air son a bheil thu falbh mar sin h-uile oidhche,
cha 'n fhan niise so na 's fhaide."
" De 's fliearrd mise innseadh do chreutair co beag riutsa ?"
ors an Righ.
" Faodaidli duine beag corahairle mhbrbhiaige,"orsa Fionn.
" Cha 'n 'eil h-aon 'sam bith co glic 's nach fheaird comhairle na
cbrach ; agus innis dhomh nis gu de tha cur dragh ort ?"
"Tha mise nis os cionn seachd bliadhna deug gun chadal gun
socair," ors an Righ, "le beisd mhor a tha tighinn air tir h-uile
oidhche a thoirt uam mo rioghachd." " Gabh thusa gu tamh an
nochd 's theid mise 'na chodhail." " Bi 'dh tu air do sgrios," ors
an Righ. " Feudaidh tusa cadal gun churam sam bith air son
sin," orsa Fionn. " 'S mise tha feumach air a sin," ors an Righ.
Cha robli Fionn 's Bran fad aig a' chladach 'nuair chunnaic iad
a' bheisd mhor a' teachd, aon suil ghlogach 'an clar a h-aodainn,
an fhairge, 'na teine sionnachan 's 'na mor bheumnach roimpe 's
na caoir gheala 's 'na muir bheucach, thall 's a bhos air a deigh,
's le luathas a teachd 's le meud a neart bhuail i 'ceann a fada
fhein suas air an traigh. " Seadh," ors ise. " De naigheachd an
fhir bhig aig am bheil am measan ?"
"'S duilich dhomhsa gu bheil sin agamsa ri innseadh," orsa
Fionn; "tha 'n Righ marbh an nochd, 's chuir a mhor mhaith-
ibh mise far an robh thu dh' iarraidh ort fuireach air tais an
aon oidhche so, gus am faigheadh iad fear eile a chumail
comhrag riut 'na aite."
" Am feud mi do chreidsin, fliir bhig ?" ors ise.
" Cha 'n 'eil sannt bhriag orm," orsa Fionn. Dar dhuisg an
Righ, ghlaodh e le eagal mbr. " Tha mo rioghachd air toirt
uam 's mo throich 's mo mheasan air chall orm."
" Tha do rioghachd agad fhathast 's do throich 's do mheasan
so," ors Fionn. Rinn an Righ mor thoileachadh dar chualaic e
Fionn a' bruidhinn. " Cha 'n 'eil fhios agam," ors' esan, " c' uine
fhuair mise leithid do thamh na do chadal."
An ath oidhche rinn an Righ deas air son falbh, ach thuirt
Fionn ris gum b' fhearr dha esan a leigeil ann an oidhche so
fhathast. Dar rainig e fhein 's Bran, cha robh e fada sin nar
chunnaic e 'n fhairge tighinn 'na teine sionnachain 's 'na mor
bheumadh, 's a' bheisd mhor 's aon suil ghlogach 'na ceann 's an
22 2 The Fians.
cuan 'na chaora geala air gach taobh 's roimpe 's 'na deighinn
tighinn dh' ionnsuidh a' chladaich, 's le luathas a siubhail 's
meudachd a neart thiortnaich i i fhein amis an traigh. " De
naigheachd an fhir bhig aig am bheil am measan an nochd,"
ors' ise.
" Cha 'n 'eil," orsa Fionn, " ach gu 'n do chuir m5r mhaithibh
na rioghachd mise a dh' iarraidh oirbh fuireach air ais an nochd
fhathast, gu 'n do thuit a bh' righinn marbh, dar bha iad cur an
Righ 'sa chiste." " Am feud mi an naigheachd sin chreidsinn?"
ors' ise.
" Cha 'n 'eil sannt bhriag orm," ors' Fionn.
" 'S cinnteach gur e sin 's duilghe dhuit," ors' ise.
Thill Fionn dhachaidh 's chaidh e laidhe aig casan an Righ;
nar dhuisg an Righ ghlaodh e, "Tha mo throich 's mo mheasan
air chall, ach cha 'n e sin 's miosa dhomh ach gu bheil an riogh-
achd air toirt 'uam." " Tha mi creidsinn," ors' Fionn, " gur
e sin 's mo tha thu caoidh an rioghachd bhi'uat,ach tha an troich
's am measan an so 's do rioghachd agad fhathast." Thug so
faochadh mbr do 'n Righ. Dh' f harraid e do dh' Fhionn, 'de
an coltas bh' air a' bheist an nochd.
" Cha do chuir i eagal sam bith ormsa," thuirt Fionn.
Dar thainig an ath-oidhche, cha robh an Righ air son a
leigeil air falbh, " 'S mbr do mhath rinn thu dhomhsa leithid
do shocair thoirt dhomh 's theid mi fhein 'na cbdhail an
nochd."
" Cha 'n 'eil olc sam bith' na beachd," orsa Fionn, " 's
feudaidh mise cead dol ann fhaighinn an nochd fhathast."
" Cha bhi i co olc riutsa co dhiu," thuirt an Righ.
Thug Fionn leis Bran 's cha robh e fad 'sam bith an oidhche
so dar chunnaic e i 's an fhairge tighinn 'na teine sionachain
air thoiseach oirre 's 'na mbr bheumach 's 'na caora geala thall
's a bhos 's 'na muir bheucach as a deighinn, 's le luathas a
siubhail 's le meud a neart chuir i 'ceann a fad fhein air a'
chladach.
" De sin naigheachd an fhir bhig aig am bheil am measan ?"
ors' ise.
" Tha," orsa Fionn, " gur mi-cheutach do 'd leithid-sa do
bheist mhbir bho oidhche gu oidhche bhi 'g eisdeachd
bhriagan bho dhuine co beag riumsa."
Fionn 's Bran. 223
" 'Nann mar so tha?" ors' ise, "bi thusa deanamh air do shon
fhein," 's chuir i color searbh oirre 's leum i an carabh Fhinn,
's bha i brath a sharachadh. Sheall Fionn air Bran, 's thuirt e,
" A' bheil thu brath mo chuideachadh an nochd idir, a
Bhran ?"
Dh' eirich Bran, 's chaidh e mu 'n cuairt orra, 's shuidh e far an
robh e. Bha so an gleachd dol na bu mhiosa do dh' Fhionn,
's thug e 'n ath shuil air Bran. " Tha thu brath mo dhi-chuimhn-
eachadh an nochd uile, Bhran." Dh' eirich Bran, 's thug e 'n ath
chuairt m' an timchioU, 's shuidh e far an robh e roimhe. Bha
a' chomrag nis dol an aghaidh Fhinn co mor 's gu 'n robh e fas
fann. Sheall e air Bran 's thuirt e, " Bhran, cha ruig thusa leas
^iridh tuille, tha mise ullamh, na rinn thu air mo shon, cha
dean gu brath a rithist, cha 'n 'eil mo chobhair ann." Thug
Bran eiridh air fhein 's ghabh e cuairt gus an robh e air cul
na beisde 's ruisg e 'spuir nimhe 's chuir e 'na druim i 's am
pripa na sula bha an cridhe s' an gruadhan aisde mach. Thilg
Fionn an ceann dith leis a chlaidheamh 's bha e treis 'ga
ghiulan 's treis 'ga iomain roimhe gus an d' rainig e 'n tigh.
Chuir e air stob e mu choinneamh tigh an Righ 's an t-suil
mhor ghlocach ris an uineag far an rohh an Righ, 's ghabh
e stigh gu sniomhach, samhach gu casan an Righ. Air
mheadhon oidhche dhuisg an Righ le uamhas 's ghlaodh e,
" Mo rioghachd air toirt 'uam 's mi air m' fhagail gun troich
gun mheasan."
" Cha 'n 'eil h-aon diu dhith ort," ors' Fionn, " 's mur creid
thu sin thoir suil mach 's chi thu air do shon fhein." Rinn an
Righ so, 's dar chunnaic e suil 's ceann na beisde moire, thuit e
air a ghlun aig taobh na leabach aig Fionn, '"S fhad," ors' esan,
" bho 'n tha e san tairgneachd, gur e Fionn Mac Cumhail a
bheireadh clos dhomhsa 's do m' rioghachd. 'S tusa Fionn."
" Cha 'n 'eil toillteanas agad air mathanas bh' uam," ors'
Fionn, " chuir thu triuir fhear mhora do m' rioghachd a chumail
comhrag rium gun aobhar."
" 'S ann tha sin triuir fhear nach 'eil tighinn fo lagh sam bith
's aig nach 'eil bunailt dhomhsa 's aig am bheil mnathan sith
arinn leintean dhoibh, 's dar bheirear dhiu iad bithidh iad mar
dhaoine eile. Bheir mise dhuit-sa deoch cadail, 's dar ruigeas tu
2 24 "^^^^ Fians.
an cladach far am bheil iad, tilgidh tu na soithichean anns am
bi an deoch cadail far an amais iad orra, 's dar bhios iad 'nan
cadal bithidh cothrom agad air na leintean fhaotainn uapa."
Chuir Fionn mach an curachan, 's thill e fhein 's Bran, 's dar
bha iad gu bhi aig cladach thilg Fionn mach an stop 'san robh
an deoch cadail. Bha na fir mhora siubhal a' chladaich mar
dh' fhag e iad. Thachair an stopan air fear dhiu; chuir e an
ceann as 's dh'bl e na bh' ann, 's thainig suain cadail air. Thilg
Fionn mach an ath-fhear 's an treasa fear, 's bha iad 'nan
triuir 'nan sineadh taobh ri taobh. Chaidh Fionn suas 's bhuain
e dhiu na leintean, 's thug e crathadh diisgaidh orra.
" Tha sibh so," ars' esan. " Tha," ors' iadsan. " 'S tha sibh
mar dhaoine eile, 's comas 's cothrom agamsa air 'ur beatha
thoirt uaibh, 's cha 'n fhaigh sibh fuasgladh gun tighinn fo
chiimhnanta lagh." Thuirt iad gu 'm bitheadh iad leagta ri
cumhnanta 'sam bith a dh' iarradh e orra, 's mhionnaich iad air
a' chlaidheamh fhuar gu 'n seasadh iad e 'n coir 's an eucoir,
's uair 'sam bith a bhitheadh e ann an eiginn na cruadal, e
'chuimhneachadh orra-san 's gu 'm bitheadh iad aige, ach e
'thoirt dhoibh na leintean air an ais. 'S mar chaidh Fionn
dhachaidh b' i an ceathramh cuirm bu mhotha 'bh' aca anns
an Fheinn riamh.
CEUDACH SON OF THE KING OF THE
COLLA MEN.
There were before now three sons of Kings, whose
names were the Duke of Green, son of the King of
France, the Duke of Pure White, son of the King of
Gold, and Ceudach, son of the King of the Colla men.
They laid their heads together to go in search of a wife
for the Duke of Green, son of the King of France. They
came to a great city ; they were traversing it and walk-
ing through it till they saw such a one as they were in
search of at the window of her father's house, the King
of Vedia. They struck a challenge on a shield for equal
combat, on the upper part or promenade of the city, or
else the daughter of the King of Vedia to be sent out.
The combat of warriors was given to them, and they
fought it till they did not leave one known warrior to
the King that they did not kill. The King said that
no one would get his daughter but one who could give
a clear spring to the place where she was. [What is here
translated "a clear spring" seems to have been a standing
leap without the aid of running, or any other accessory
beyond that of action of the muscles of the body and
feet, the hands being placed on the hips.] This was
done by Ceudach, son of the King of the Colla men ; he
caught a firm hold of her without struggle or hurry, and
he had her safe.
It was not yet known who was to get her, as they
were all complete warriors. The King said the one
whom she preferred to follow would get her. " We
will go to the barn," said Ceudach, son of the King of
the Colla men. When he got them in the barn he said
15
2 26 The Finns.
they would make a whirligig, and place her in the middle,
until she grew giddy, then the three doors of the barn
were to be opened, and any man whom she followed out
was the one who would have her. This was done, and
she followed Ccudach, who continued to live with her in
her father's house. When they were together some time,
it caused him much surprise that she was only to be seen
sometimes. One day, as they sat at meat, he said, with
a heavy sigh :
" There is many a worse warrior in Fionn's house to-
night, though I am of little account here."
" You are not at all of little account," she said.
" Yes," he said, " I am without company or inquiry,
and I would prefer to be to-day with Fionn and his
nobles. I am not wanted here, and I will go away."
"On the contrary, you are much thought of ; it was
making clothes for you that I was," and she produced
clothes made of every kind of fur.
"I will go at any rate," he said, "and you will stay
here."
"If you do," she said, "you will put on the clothes,
and I will not stay here ; there will be no separation."
" If you accompany me to the end of my journey it
will be on condition that you will not mention my name
so long as I live," and she agreed with him. When they
reached Fionn's house, he struck a challenge note on his
shield, "A warrior in search of service." Fionn came out
and asked him who he was and what work he could do.
'■ The employment I can do is to procure and make
ready the produce of the hunt before your nobles return
next day, if you will allow me to take one side of the
hill and put them on the other side."
The pride of Fionn's nobles was offended that any one
man should presume to think lightly of them ; but when
they came home on the morrow they fcuuid the produce
of the hunt ready before them. " Tell me what wages
Ceudach. 227
you are asking, since you have approved yourself an able
worker," Fionn said to him.
" My wages will be," he replied, " to have two-thirds of
my own will, while you will have but one-third of your
own will, and your wife to have the first say among the
women of the Feinne, and my wife to have the second
say."
They were now living together pleasantly, till one day
a large coracle was seen coming towards the shore, in
which there were two women out of all size. One of
them jumped ashore and asked Fionn to be sent down ;
that she had with her a shirt she had been a year and a
day making for him ; and many an incline and rise,
downs and ups, she encountered before arriving there.
They told Fionn what she said, and he knew it was better
for him to avoid her than to meet her. The man with
the fur clothes said he would go to the shore instead of
Fionn. When he reached it she tried on him the shirt,
and it fitted him without a flaw. She then placed a row
of little knives on the gunwale of the coracle, and she
said to him : " If you are Fionn, you will walk on these
knives and they will not cut you."
He did this, and the knives were taking the toes and
the heels off him.
" It is easy to know that you are not Fionn,^'she said ;
" take yourself away, before you are without life or
strength."
Fionn was again sent for; he came ; the shirt fitted him
as if it had been worked on himself, and he walked on
the knives without a cut or injury. She then said : "Fionn,
I put you under bands and spells, that you will go three
times of your own accord to the Kingdom of Big Men,
and three times against your own wishes," and they
went away.
After that the time came for Fionn to go. When
they came down, the women of the Feinne met them.
15^
2 28 TJie Fians.
Fionn knelt to the wife of the man with the fur garment.
She said to him : " O King, why do you kneel to me ?"
" It is," said the King, " to ask you to allow your
husband to go with me to a far-away region."
" I will do so," she said, " on condition that you bring
him back to me, whether he be dead or alive."
They went, and when they were returning, the man
with the fur skins said to Fionn : " This is our death ;
none of us will return alive home with you. Put a
mark on my clothes that you may know me from the
others. I and my companions were once playing when
the ball went in to an old woman who was making
pottery, or delf ; the ball smashed the delf She asked
payment ; we had nothing to pay her with, and we took
out the ball in spite of her. She placed us under spells:
' Though you are going together so affectionately and
friendly at present, the one will kill the other of you,'
she said. The time is now come, and do you put a
mark on my clothes."
Fionn did this, and no sooner was it done than war
broke out in the sky, and the one killed the other. Fionn
threw the other two overboard, and took back the man
with the fur garments. His wife met P^ionn. " Yes,"
she said, " you have brought him home."
" I have fulfilled my promise," Fionn said.
" He is not alive, I feel," she said.
They went to the shore, and Fionn showed her the
body. She lifted its head on her knees, saying :
" I would know you by your teeth,
And your beautiful wavy hair ;
It is a truth, and no lie.
That you are Ceudach, son of the King of the Colla men."
She asked permission of Fionn to remain this evening
at the shore, as she then was. She was not long there,
when she saw two men of gigantic size coming towards
Ceudach. 229
her from the sea, and the one that was coming after
throwing the head of the one who was before him, and
the head going on him again as before. With the astonish-
ment she felt, she hfted the sword that Ceudach had
saying : " Why should I not try the small play ?" and
threw off his head, when she found him alive and as
well as when she parted from him.
Ceudach Mac Rich nan Collacii.
Bha ann aoii h-uair roi' so triuir mhac righrean b' iad sin Diuc
Uaine Mac Righ na Frainge, Diuc Gle-Gheal Mac Righ an h-bir,
's Ceudach Mac Righ nan Collach, 's chuir iad an cinn ri cheile
gu 'mfalbhadh iad dh' iarraidh bean do Dhiuc Uaine Mac Righ
na Frainge. Rainig iad baile mor 's bha iad 'ga shiubhal 's a'
spaidsearachd air'fheadh gus an d' fhuair iad sealladh air an te
bha iad an toir oirre aig uinneag tigh a h-athar, Righ Mhidia.
Bhuail iad beum sgeithe ceile comhrag no nighinn Righ Mhidia
a chur a mach. Fhuair iad comhrag gaisge 's chaith iad i,
gus nach d' fhag iad aon ghaisgeach air sgeul aig an righ nach
do mharbh iad. Thuirt an righ nach fhaigheadh a h-aon a
nighean, ach am fear a bheireadh leum nan ceithir seang a
dh' ionnsuidh 'n aite 'san robh i. Rinn Ceudach Mac Righ
nan Collach so, 's rug e oirre le greim diorrasach gun stri gun
chabhaig 's bha i sabhailte aige. Cha robh fios an so c6
fear dhiu gheibheadh i bho 'n bha iad uile 'nan Ian ghaisgich.
Thuirt an righ gum faigheadh am fear a b' fhearr leatha fhein
a leantuinn. "Theid sinn do 'nt-sabhal," thuirt Ceudach Mac
Righ nan Collach. Dar fhuair e san t-sabhal iad, thuirt e riu gu
n deanadh iad "a'bhuailemhiosdean" 's gu'ncuireadhiad ise san
teas meadhon gus an tigeadh tuainealach oirre, 's gu 'm fosgladh
iad tri dorsan an t-sabhail 's fear 'sam bith a leanadh i mach dhiu
gum b 'e sin am fear leis am bitheadh i. Rinn iad so 's lean ise
Ceudach 's dh' fhuinch esan leatha an tigh a h-athar. Dar bha
iad comhla car uine bha e 'cur iongantas mor air-san nach
robh i ri fhaicinn ach cbrr uair. Latha bha sin dar a bha iad
'nan suidhe aig am biadh thuirt esan 's e tarruing osnadh throm :
230 The Fians.
" 'S ioma gaisgeach 's miosa an tigh Fhinn an nochd ged tha
mise a so air bheagan meas."
" Cha 'n 'eil thu gun mheas idir," thuirt ise.
"Tha," thuirt esan, "mi gun choimhead gun fharraid 's b'
fhearr learn gu 'n robh mi an diugh le Fionn 's le 'mhaithibh.
Cha 'n 'eil iarraidh orm a so, 's bithidh mi falbh."
"An aite sin 's ann tha moran meas ort ; 's ann deanamh
eudaich dhuit bha mise," 's thug i mach eudach air dheanamh
do na h-uile seorsa bian.
"Falbhaidh mi co dhiu," ors' esan, "'s fanaidh tusa an so."
"Ma dh' fhalbhas," thuirt ise, "cuiridh tu ort an t-eudach, 's
cha 'n fhuirich mise an so ; cha bhi eadar-dhealachadh ann."
" Ma dh' fhalbhas tu learn air ceum mo shiubhal," ors' esan,
" 's ann air chumhnanta nach abair thu m' ainm rium fliad 's a
bhios mi beo," 's dh' aontaich i leis.
Dar rainig iad tigh Fhinn bhuail e beum-sgeithe, gum bu
ghaisgeach esan air son cosnaidh. Thainig Fionn a mach 's dh'
fliarraid e co e na ciod an cosnadh b' urrainn dha dheanamh.
" Se an cosnadh a ni mi an t-seilg a dheanamh 's a bhruich,
mu 'n dig do mhaithibh-sa dhachaidh am maireach, ma leigeas
tu mise air an darna taobh do 'n bheinn 's ma chuireas tu iadsan
air an taobh eile."
Ghabh maithibh Fhinn uaill agus ardan gu 'n gabhadh aon
neach fos laimh tarcuis a dheanamh orra, ach dar thainig iad
dhachaidh an la 'r 'n ath-mhaireach bha an t-seilg deanta bruich
rompa.
" Innis 'de an duals a bhitheas tu ag iarraidh, nis, bho 'n leig
thu fhaicinn do dheagh sheirbhis," thuirt Fionn ris.
"Se mo thuarasdal," crs' esan, "da thrian do 'm thoil fhein
bhi agam, 's aon trian do d' thoil fhein a bhi agadsa 's a chiad
fhacal do mhnathan na Feinne a bhi aig do bheansa, 's an
darna facal aig mo bheansa."
Bha iad so tighinn beo gu solasach, gus aon latha am faca iad
curachan mor tighinn dh' ionnsuidh a 'chladaich anns an robh
da bhoirionnach gun chuimhseadh air meudachd. Leum te
dhiu air tir 's dh' iarr i Fionn chur nuas, gu 'n robh aice-sa sid
leine a bha i latha 's bliadhna a 'deanamh dha, 's gur iomadh
aomadh 's h-;\itibh roi' an d' thainig i mu 'n do bhuanaich i sid.
Ceudack. 231
Dh' innis iad do Fhionn mar thuirt i, 's dh' aithnich e gu 'm
b' fhearr dha seachnadh na tachairt rithe. Thuirt gaisgeach
nam bian gu 'n rachadh esan thun a' chladaich 'an aite Fhinn.
Dar rainig e chuir i air an leine 's fhreagair i dha gun bheuni.
Chuir i sin sreath do sgeanan beaga air am faobhar air beul
a' churachain 's thuirt i ris, "Ma 's tu Fionn coisichidh tu air
na sgeanan sin 's cha ghearr iad thu."
Rinn e so, 's bha na sgeanan toirt nam meoir 's nan sailtean
dheth. " 'S fhurasd aithneachadh nach tu Fionn," ors' ise,
" thoir thu fhein as mu 'm bi thu gun chail gun chU."
Chaidli fios an so air Fionn a rithist 's thainig e 's fhreagair
an leine dha mar gu 'n rachadh a deanamh uime, 's choisich e
air na sgeanan gun ghearradh gun dochann. An sin thuirt ise,
" Fhinn, tha mi 'g ad chur fo bhannaibh 's fo gheasaibh gu 'n
deid thu tri uairean do rioghachd nam fear mora le d' thoil 's tri
uairean an aghaidh do thoil," 's dh' fhalbh iad. Goirid an
deigh sin thainig an t-am aig Fionn bhi falbh. Dar thainig iad
nuas thachair mnathan na Feinne orra. Chaidh Fionn air a
ghlun do bhean fear nan cochla craicionn, 's thuirt i ris, " C ar
son, O Righ, tha sibh lubadh air glun dhomhsa." " Tha," ors'
an righ, " dh' iarraidh ort cead an duine agad leigeil leam do
rioghachd fad dh' astar."
" Ni mi sin," ors' ise, "air chumhnanta gu 'n toir thu air ais
g' am ionnsuidh e, c'dhiu 's e 'bheo na 'mharbh a bhitheas ann."
Dh' fhalbh iad, 's dar bha iad a 'tilleadh air an rathad, thuirt
fear nan cochla craicionn ri Fionn :
"Se ar bas tha so, cha ruig h-aon againn leats' dhachaidh 's
cuir thusa comharradh air m' eudachsa los gu 'n aithnich thu
mi seach each. Bha mise 's mo dha chompanach aon uair 'g
iomain 's chaidh a' chniad a stigh do thigh cailliche a bha
deanamh creadha, 's bhrist a' chniad a 'chriadh oirre. Dh' iarr
i paigheadh 's cha robh againn na phaigheadh dhi e, 's thug sin
a' chniad mach dh' aindeoin 's chuir i fo gheasan sinn, 'Ged
tha sibh falbh comhla co muirneach cairdeil an drasta,' ors' ise,
' marbhaidh an darna h-aon an t-aon eile.' Tha an t-am nis air
tighinn 's cuir thusa comharradh 'm eudach."
Rinn Fionn so, 's cha luaithe bha e deanta na dh' eirich an
cogadh as an athar 's mharbh an darna fear am fear eile, 's
232 The Fians.
thilg Fionn an dithis eile thar bord, 's thug e dhachaidh fear
nan cochladh craicionn. Choinnich a bhean e. " Seadh," ors'
ise, " thug thu dhachaidh e."
" ChoimhHon mi mo ghealladh," ars' Fionn.
" Cha bheo e tha mi 'g aithneachadh," thuirt i.
Dh' imich iad thun a' chladaich, 's leig e fhaicinn an corp
dh' i. Thog i a cheann air a glun, 's thuirt i :
" ' Dh' aithn 'n air a' dheud thu,
'S air a' chul cheutach chlannach,
'S firinn 's cha bhreug e
'Gur tu Ceudach Mac Righ nan Collach.' "
Dh' iarr i cead air Fionn fuireach an oidhche so aig a' chladach
mar bha i. Cha robh i ach uine ghoirid ann dar chunnaic i
dithis fhear thar tomhas tighinn far an robh i far a' chuain, 's am
fear a bhiodh air dheireadh tilgeil a 'chinn do 'n fhear a bhiodh
air thoiseach, 's an ceann 'dol air mar bhiodh e roimhe. Leis
an ionghnadh aghabh ithog i an claidheamh bh' aig Ceudach s
thuirt i, " C ar son nach deanainn an cleas beag ?" 's thilg i
an ceann deth 's fhuair i sin e beo slan mar dhealaich i ris.
HOW FIONN WAS IN THE HOUSE OF THE
YELLOW FIELD,
WITHOUT LEAVE TO SIT DOWN OR POWER
TO STAND UP.
FlONN went out walking one day. He had only two of
his men and two of the dogs with him. One of them,
who was the master of the dogs, was called Conan. The
blinding darkness of a snow-storm overtook them, and
they looked about for a place of shelter to which they
could go. A little old man met them, and welcomed
Fionn MacCumal.
" I welcome you," said Fionn ; " you seem to have a
better knowledge of me than I have of you."
" I have that of you," said he, " and more than that, I
put it as charms, and spells, and the nine fastenings of the
fairy woman on you, that you will be to-night in the
House of the Yellow Field."
" Up and down with your spells," said Fionn.
" Neither up nor down with them," said the old man.
Where the old man was highest they were lowest,
until they reached the mouth of a cave ; they entered the
cave, and the old man said to them, " Keep to one side
of the cave." " If none stronger than you will come we
will do so," said they. " You do not know in the world,"
said he, " what may occur to you."
It was not long after this when a youth entered with a
dog, having a white spot in its forehead. He saluted
Fin-Mac-Coul.
"I bid you welcome," said Fionn ; "you know me better
than I know you." " I do know you better," the youth
2 34 ^/^^' Finns-.
said. " I have heard that the Fians keep good dogs, and
I have come to ask a dog-fight."
" I have not one of my dogs here," said Fionn, " but
two." The names of the dogs were Bran and Geola.
At first he allowed Bran to fight the yellow white-fronted
dog, but Bran showed no great cleverness. Bran had a
death-inflicting spur, or claw, w^iich was always kept
covered with a shoe until he had to fight. On this occa-
sion the taking off the sheath or shoe was neglected.
Bran would look at Geola, and Geola, in turn, would
look at Conan. Then Conan remembered that the shoe
had not been taken off Bran, and he laid himself down
alongside and took off the shoe. It was no sooner taken
off than Bran lifted the venomous claw and killed the
dog of the white front. It was then the owner of the
dog said :
" Were it not for the wily Geola,
And Bran, from the greatness of his strength,
No dog that a leash could be put on,
Would be left by For, west in the Fort."
It was not long after this when a great dame came
in with sixteen attendant maidens. She greeted Fionn
MacCumal.
" I greet yourself," he said ; " you are better acquainted
with me than I am with you."
" I am,^' she said. " I heard that you have good
wrestlers, and I am come with my maiden attendants to
wrestle with them."
" I have not many wrestlers ; I have only two alto-
gether," said Fionn, and he asked Conan to rise and take
a turn at wrestling.
Conan and one of the attendant maidens put them-
selves in wrestling order, and at the first throw she put
him on his knee.
" A King's son on bended knee ; is it permissible for
him to rise ?" said he.
Fionn in the House of the Yelloiu Field. 235
" It is permissible," said she.
Conan was never known to do a clever action until he
was made to be ashamed. He gave her a high, jolly lift,
and laid her flat on the ground ; thus from one to one,
till he threw down the whole sixteen. The great woman,
was now for making her escape.
" You must not do that," said Fionn. " You must try
wrestling with me, and it would be no cause of com-
plaint to you if it was the beginning and not the end of
the wrestling."
At that she and her attendant maidens left ; and soon
after Fionn and those with him saw a great number of
people coming to the mouth of the cave. Fionn sent
one of his men to ascertain who the people were, and
when he was not coming back, Fionn sent the other
down. Before long the people poured in upon him.
They surrounded him on every hand, till he could
neither sit down nor stand up. He was combating them
with his sword as best he could ; he had a shield on his
side called the Storm Shield, and when it called out it
could be heard in the Seven-hundredths of Ireland ; and
when it called three times, Fionn would be nearly done
for. The first cry that it gave was heard in Kincorry,
where Fionn^s company then was. When they moved,
they did not well know what side to turn to ; but they
were not long till they heard it again, and they made
straight for it. When they were nearly at it, it gave the
third cry. By that time they had dug a hole into the
cave above him, and they drew Fionn out, and allowed
no one to escape from the edge of their weapons, but
one person, to tell what had become of the rest. That
was the greatest strait in which Fionn ever was, when he
was in the House of the Yellow Field, without power to
stand up or sit down.
236 The Fians.
Mar bha Fionn 'an Tigh 'Biilar Bhuidhe gun
cheau suidhe na comas eiridh.
Bha Fionn mach latha 'gabhail sraid. Cha robh leis ach dithis
do ghillean 's dithis do choin, 's b'e maighstir nan con fear do
na gillean a bha leis, ris an abairteadh Conan. 'De thainig orra
ach dalladh chur-sneachda, 'sbhaiad feuch am faigheadh iad aite
fasgach a bheireadh iad mach. Thachair bodachan beag orra
's chur e failte air Fionn Mac Cumhail. " Failte ort fhein," orsa
Fionn, " tha aithne agad orm nach 'eil agam ort." "Tha sin
agam ort," ors' am bodachan, " 's bharrachd air a sin tha mi
'cur," ors' esan, " mar chroisean 's mar gheasan ort 's mar naoi
buaraichean na mna sith gum bi thu 'an tigh 'Bhlair Bhuidhe
'n nochd."
" Sios 's suas d' gheasan," ors' Fionn.
" Cha sios 's cha suas do m' gheasan," ors' am bodach.
Far am b' airde do 'n bhodach 's ann a b' isle dhoibh-san
ach gus an do rainig iad beul uamha. Chaidh iad stigh do 'n
uamha 's thuirt am bodach, " Gleidheadh an darna taobh do 'n
uamha." " Mur dig oirnn na 's treasa na thusa ni sinn sin,"
ors' iadsan. " Cha 'n 'eil fhios agaibh air an t-saoghal," ors'
esan, " 'de thig oirbh."
Cha b' fliada as deighinn sin dar thainig bganach a stigh 's
cu blar buidhe aige, 's chuir e failte air Fionn Mac Cumhail.
" Failte ort fhein," ors' Fionn, " tha aithne agad orm nach
'eil agam ort." "Tha sin agam ort," ors' esan, "chuala mi
gu 'n robh coin mhath agaibh 's an Fheinn 's thainig mi dh'
iarraidh comhrag chon."
" Cha 'n 'eil moran agamsa so," ors' Fionn, " do m' chuid chon
ach dithis." Agus b' e an ainm Bran agus Geoladh ; 's air tiis leig
e Bran chomhrag leis a' chu bhlar bhuidhe ach cha robh Bran
deanamh tapadh sam bith. Bha spor nimhe air 's daonnan
bhiodh brog air ach gus am biodh e 'comhrag. Aig an am
so cha do chuimhnich iad a bhrbg a thoirt dheth. Shealladh
Bran air Geoladh 's shealladh Geoladh air Conan. 'S ann an
so chuimhnich Conan nach d' thainig a' bhrog tliar IJrnn, 's
leig e e fhein 'na shincadh fodha 's thug e dhcth a' blirog.
Fiomi 'an Tigh ' Bhlar Bhuidhe. 237
Cha luaithe bha e air toirt dheth na thog esan a spor nimhe 's
mharbh e an cii blar. Sin mar labhair fear a' choin,
" Mar bi Geoladh nan car,
Agus Bran roi mheud a lugh 's
Aon chu mun diinabh ial
Chan fliagadh For siar san Dun."
Cha b' fhada an deigh sin gus an d' thainig baintighearna mhbr
a stigh 's sia maighdeanan deug coimheadach leatha. Chuir i
failte air Fionn Mac Cumhail.
'• Failte oirbh p' fhein," ors' esan, " tha aithne agaibh orm
nach 'eil agam oirbh." "Tha sin agam ort," ors' ise, "chuala
mi gu 'n robh gleachdairean math agad 's thainig mi le m'
mhaighdeanan coimhead dh' fheuchain gleachd riu."
"Cha 'n 'eil moran do ghleachdairean agams' ann, cha 'n 'eil
agam ach dithis air fad," ors' Fionn, 's dh' iarr e air Conan
eiridh a dh' fheuchain car gleachd' ; 's air a chiad char chuir i
air a gliKm e.
"Mae Righ air aghlun," ors' esan, " 's cead dha eiridh?"
"'S cead," ors' ise.
Cha d' rinn Conan tapadh riamh ach gus an gabhadh e
naire. Thug e an togail ard aighearach ud oirre 's chuir e air
steil a droma i, 's o the gu te gus an do leag e an t-sia deug.
Bha so an te mhbr air son teicheadh air falbh.
" Cha dean thu sin idir," ors' Fionn, " feumaidh tu gleachd
fheuchinn riumsa, 's cha bu dad gearan idir dhuit na 'm b' e
toiseach 'bhiodh agad ach deireadh na gleachd." Aige sin dh'
fhalbh i fhein 's a maighdeanan coimheadach. Cha b' fhada
an deigh sin gus am faca iad moran sluaigh tighinn gu beul na
uamha'. Chuir Fionn sios fear do 'ghillean feuch 'de na daoine
bha sid, 's mar nach robh e tilleadh airais, chuir e fear eile sios.
Cha b' fhada ach gus an do bhruchd an sluagh a stigh g' a
ionnsuidh. Dh' iadh iad uime air gachlaimh gus nach robh
e comasach dha suidhe na seasamh. Bha e 'gan comhrag le
'chlaidheamh co math 's a dh' fhaodadh e. Bha sgiath air a
thaobh ris an abairteadh Sgiath Ghaillion, 's nar ghlaodhadh e
chluinteadh ann an Seachd Ceudan na h-Erin i; 's 'n uair
bheireadh i tri ghlaoidh aisde bhiodh esan sin air bheul thaobh
bhi ullamh. 'N uair thug i 'chiad ghlaodh aisde chual' iad ann
'.^S The Fians.
an Dun Chinn-a-Choire i ; 's ann sin bha cuideachd Fhinn cruinn.
'N uair ghluais iad, cha robh fhios aca ceart 'de an taobh a
ghabhadh iad ; ach cha b' fhad ach gus an cualaic iad rithist i,
agus rinn iad direach oirre. Mar bha iad fagasg dlia thug i an
treas glaodh aisde. Aig an am sin bha iad an deigh an uamh
a tholladh os a chionn, agus sin thug iad Fionn macli, 's cha do
leig iad duine a bial airm ach an aon f hear, air son 's gu 'n
innseadh am fear sin gu de a dh' eirich do chach uile ; agus 's e
sin an cas bu mhotha 's an robh Fionn riamh, dar bha e 'n tigh
'Blilair Bhuidhe (gun chead suidhe no gun chomas eiridh), 's
nach fhaiglieadh e suidhe na seasamh.
FIONN'S RANSOM.
In the tale here given, the reader's attention is first
drawn to the " Little, thick-set, insignificant man" {Fear
beag, zosal, lapanac/i). From another source, the writer
has heard this description of him :
" The little, low-set Swaddler,
His russet coat and sinewy muscles,
The hair of his breast pointing upwards,
The hair of his head reaching to his breast,
His bag of arrows death-inflicting,
Without wax or feathering."
"Am Fear beag, iosal, lapanach,
A chota lachduinn nan geur eang,
A ghruag uchd an aird,
'S a ghruag ard air 'uchd,
A bholg saighde le nimhe,
Gun cheir gun iteach air."
Lapanach does not mean that he was undersized in the
same way that children are, but that he was a full-grown
individual, undersized and sinewy, or muscular. Perhaps
this adjective, Lapanach, is the origin of the name Lap-
lander, the people of Lapland being of smaller height
and lower stature than the average European. The
Laplanders, although undersized in point of height, are
strong in muscle, and their appearance generally is only
that of people living in a very cold climate and on fat
and unctuous food.
There are many traditional tales in the Highlands of
much interest, and referring to more modern times, in
which little men of dwarfish, and even pigmy, size figure
as good bowmen, slaying men of large size and powerful
240 The Fians.
make by their dexterity in the use of the bow and
arrow. The reader will readily remember " Little
John", of Robin Hood fame, reputed in his time one of
the most skilful archers of Sherwood Forest. Another
indication of Lappish connection worth attention is that
there was at one time in the Highlands of Scotland a
lullaby for young children, in which the words occur,
"On Deer's milk I was reared" ("Atr bainne nam
FiadJi tJwgadJi mi'"). The writer himself has not been
able to get the words of the lullaby ; but these lullabies,
like the names of places, are very enduring in their
existence, and perhaps can yet be fallen in with in
other places and among other people. The rescue of
this and other lullabies and Gaelic antiquities in an
available form would be a boon to the philologist and
anthropologist.
The quiet tackling of even the weakly with misfortune
and formidable events, and the perseverance against
impending calamities denoted by these tales, are lessons
from which everyone can draw a moral for himself
The word eang is to the lexicographer worthy of
attention. It is not a word of common use, but it is
well known in some poetic expressions. The boast of
the young Deer was that no animal ever planted foot on
hillside that could catch it.
"Slippery and yellow is my skin,
And never planted foot on hillside
Any beast that could catch me."
" Sleamhuinn 's as buidhe mo bhian,
'S cha do chuir e eang air sliabh
Beathach riamh a bheireadh orm."
Leum nan ccithiy eafig (the agile spring of four
bounds), denotes a standing leap, or one as high and
as far as one is capable of
Gu7i gJiligteadJi nan eang (without a spring in the
Fi 01111 s Ransom. 241
muscles), is said of a person entirely exhausted, so that
he is unable to rattle his bones, or move a sinew or
muscle, however strong these may have been. ^S aotrom
eang, is said of a young person with a jaunty air. The
little Swaddler, who was despised by the other nobles as
dwarfish, was received by Fionn MacCumhail, and his
request was acceded to. Though his request at the time
appeared trifling, it proved afterwards to be of great
moment. Fionn in this matter appears true to his
character as " the real old country gentleman, all of the
olden times".
It has been said to the writer that eang meant a
mark in the centre of the archer's bow, with another
towards each end, for the guidance of the archer's aim.
In this case the eang of the bow may mean the whole
twang of the bow, implying the whole strength of the
weapon, both wood and string. The Gaelic word eang,
and the English word twang, being etymologicaJly and
by onomatopoeia the same word, and the whole derived
from the sound or resonance arising when the arrow is
launched. The trebly nimble, or agile leap, is one in
which the whole powers of the man's body are exercised,
and the muscles are brought into play like the string of
the bow.
Eti'tg was a recompense, or the taking the part of any
one, or vindicating his character after death ; and, in this
case, it seems to denote the avenging or clearing, and
the making good the injury done to Fionn. It does not
seem to convey the idea of vengeance, or the requital of
loss or injury by a retaliation equally severe.
In the dispersion of languages and primeval tribes tke
names of places and still surviving indications are much
to be looked to, and before parting with the subject
it may be permissible to point out that the word
already mentioned, eang, being connected with the
English "twang", from the resonance of the weapon,
16
242 The Fians.
may also have its analogy and relatives in the Kan-
garoo and Boomerang of the native Australian, the
first of these words in name and meaning being very
like eanga riiitli, the hopping or agile leaping of the
animal taking the place of what in other animals is
running, and the other deriving its name from the sound
of the weapon when thrown over the head into the air.
The names of places in the rigorous climate of the
North are not very easily come-at-able, most of them
being made known to us through alien tongues. Kams-
chatka cannot but arrest attention from the beginning
of the word resembling so much the Camus, or indenta-
tion of the sea into the land, which is so common in
names of undoubted Gaelic origin, like Cambuskenneth,
CainiisdionbJiaig in Skye, etc., etc. It is also noticeable
from the dififerentiating noun or locality preceding the
adjective or other adjunct by which the locality or place-
name is denoted, as well as from its common occurrence
in the names of places. It is observable that in Gaelic the
differentiating noun always precedes and never follows
the place-name, as it always does in English. The per-
son acquainted with both languages can in this respect
compare Newton and Bazle-jwd/ia. Baile is in Gaelic at
the beginning of the place-name, but in English at the
end.
In the tale the word Svvaddler has been adopted as a fair
translation of Lapanach, as the idea conveyed is that of
a little, insignificant-looking, and at the same time a
sturdy, strong, active individual, though in appearance
not lithe or athletic ; or, as it has otherwise been ex-
plained to the writer, MoganacJi laidir.
Fionn's Ransom.
Once upon a time Fionn and his three foster-brothers,
the Red Knight, the Knight of the Cairn, and the
Knight of the Sword, went to the hunting hill. They
Fionii s Ransom. 243
sat down to look around them, on a sunny, rocky emi-
nence, sheltered from the wind, and in the sun's warmth,
where they could see everyone and no one could see
them. When they were seated there some time, the
Knight of the Sword said, "Is it possible for me to think
that anyone has walked the earth or traversed the air
who could despise or look down upon Fionn MacCumh-
ail when his three foster-brothers are near him ?" The
words were hardly uttered when they observed the
darkening and heard the sound of the approach and
passing of a shower from the north-west, out of which
came a rider on a black horse. He came straight where
Fionn was, and struck him on the mouth, knocking out
three upper and three lower teeth. Then the Knight of
the Sword stood and said that the earth would make
a hollow in the sole of his foot and the sky a nest in
the crown of his head before his footsteps would return,
" Until I avenge Fionn's injury." The other foster-
brothers said the same. They then went down to the
shore, and began to fit out a ship to go away in. They
were not long engaged in this work when they saw a
little, low-set, insignificant-looking man approaching the
place where they were. They addressed him, and in
reply he asked the Knight of the Sword for permission
to accompany them on the ship. The Knight of the
Sword answered, " No ; of what use would a trifling
little man like you be to us for going in a ship ?" He
then made a request of the Knight of the Cairn if there
was any way by which he would be allowed to go with
them on their travels, but the Knight of the Cairn
replied that they had no need of such an unlikely
person as he was in a ship. He then in the same way
asked the Red Knight, who said that it was improper
of him to put such a question. " Who could have the
audacity to take an insignificant-looking creature of
mean, russety appearance, such as you are, in a ship to
16 -^
244 '^^^^ Fians.
sea?" He now went where Fionn was, and told him
that the others had all refused him, and asked him if he
would allow him to accompany him.
" I give you permission," said Fionn ; " you are of more
value than a stone, anyhow."
They then launched the ship. They turned the prow
seaward and the stern to land, and raised the speckled,
towering sails against the tall, tough, strong masts
with a slight, soft, gentle breeze that would strip leaves
from trees, willow from hill, and young heather from its
rootlets and grasp, lashing the sea wildly into waves and
foam in the seething expanse far and near, while the
little, crooked, swarthy whelk that was seven years at
the bottom of the sea gave a creaking sound on the gun-
wale and a thump on the bottom of the boat. Their
murmuring music and lasting sound of grumbling were
the chiming of eels, the gnashing of teeth, the biggest
beast devouring the smaller beast, and the little beast
doing as best it could. The ship could cut a grain of
oats with the edge of her prow from the excellence of
her steering, and Fionn Mac Cumhail was guide at the
prow, helm in the stern, and tackle in the centre, and
they directed her course for the Kingdom of Big Men.
When they had been two days sailing, Fionn desired
the Knight of the Sword to look from the mast whether
he could see land. He went a short distance up the
mast, returned, and said that there was no part or por-
tion of land visible. Then Fionn asked the Knight of
the Cairn to try if he could discern land. He went a
short distance up the mast, and came down, and said that
there was no trace or appearance of land in sight. Fionn
now asked the Red Knight to look closely from him
whether he could get a view of land. The Red Knight
only climbed up the mast a short way when he returned,
saying that there was neither land nor earth to be seen,
nothing but sea and sky. Then the little, insignificant
Fionns Ransom. 245
man stood and said to them, "If you could not acquit
yourselves better than that, you might as well have
remained where you were," and he gave a bound and
reached the top of the mast. When he came down
he said to Fionn, "It is too large to be a hooded
crow, and too small to be land ; but keep the course
you are on." Next day they were in harbour in the
Kingdom of Big Men. When they reached the anchor-
ing ground they could not get to land. There were
three Fiery Darts gleaming all round the harbour. Then
the little, low-set, waddling man put a hollow-shaped,
resisting shield on his right hand, and on his left gave
the standing (or magic) leap of three bounds, and reached
land. After that he took Fionn and his three foster
brothers safely on shore with him. The four then
began to walk abroad through the island. On their way
they met a tall woman with a brown, fat, little lap-dog
at her heels, and every time the lap-dog looked at Fionn
his lost teeth were in their place in his mouth as they
should be, but when the lap-dog turned from him the
teeth dropped out.
The foster-brothers now thought they had found
Fionn's ransom, and they carried off with them the
tall woman and the lap-dog to the ship, and left the
little, low-set Swaddler alone on the island. He was
travelling, and ever moving right on before him. In the
dusk of the evening he saw a small dwelling-house, with
a light in it, by the road-side. He entered and found a
large fire burning, but there was no one before him.
However, he was not long waiting and listening when a
tall man returned home and said, " What news has the
little low-set Swaddler ?" He replied that he had no
news, unless he got any from the tall man who had
come home.
" My news are but sorrowful," said the tall man, " for
my beautiful sister, who used to put me in the bath
246 The Fians.
when I returned home from fighting the battle, and
made me as cheerful as ever to go to battle and combat
the next day, has been taken away, and is lost and
astray from me."
" If that was all she could do," said the little low-set
Swaddler, " perhaps I may do it myself ;" and he took
him and washed him in the washing-bath, so that he
never felt more refreshed or joyful.
Another brother now returned home, and said when
he entered the house, " What news has the little, low-set
Swaddler ?"
" I have neither little nor much of any news," said he,
" unless I may get some from yourself"
" The burden of my news is but sad," this brother said,
" for my beloved sister, who put me in the washing-bath
at eve, after the battle, so that next day I was as well as
ever, has been taken away with the little, brown, fat
lap-dog that followed at her heel."
" If she could only do that," said he, " I may myself be
able to do it ;" and he put this tall brother in the bath
and washed and cleaned him, so that he was as fresh as
he ever was, next day, to go to fight.
Another tall brother came home soon after, and said
the self-same words with the others, " What news has the
little low-set Swaddler?"
" I have no manner of tale to tell," he replied, " but
what the big, strong man who came in has better."
" My share of the story is but poor," said the third
brother, " for my handsome sister, who bathed me on my
return from battle, and next day I was better than ever
to go to combat, has been taken away, and I shall now
be without strength or counsel."
" If that is all," said the Swaddler, " I may try to do it
myself;" and he took him to the farthcst-off part of the
house and washed and bathed him, so that next day he
was better prepared than ever to engage in battle and
combat.
Fionns Ransom. 247
The little Swaddler then said, " Will you allow me to
go to the battle to-night in your place?"
One of the brothers replied to him, " Miserable being,
what could you do there alone, when they keep three of
us fighting?"
" But will you not tell me how many are coming to
trouble you ?" said the little man.
Another of the brothers then answered, " That there
was a regiment of soldiers, and although he beheaded
every one of them, a tall old woman came after him
with a life-restoring stoup in her hand, and when she
dipped her finger in the life-restoring stoup and put it
in the mouths of the men, every one of them sprang up
alive."
" Will any others come ?" asked the Swaddler.
" There will come then," resumed the next of the
brothers, " another regiment of soldiers, with musical
harpers at their head, and they will set you to sleep."
" Will none other than these come ?" said he.
" Then will come," said the third brother, " a tall old
man of terrific and gruesome appearance, who will take
your life unless you can keep combating him all night.
After him, a tall, old woman will come, and if you let
her get near you her breath will kill you."
The Swaddler then asked if any others would come.
The brothers told him that none else would come.
He obtained permission to go away that night to the
battle. When he reached he saw the first regiment
approaching, and he hid himself until they had passed ;
he then came up behind and killed every one of them.
He now saw a great, enormous old woman coming with
a life-restoring stoup in her hand. When he saw that
she was near, he laid himself down in the row among the
dead men. She put her finger out of the life-restoring
stoup in the mouth of the man nearest to him, and he
started up alive. She then put her finger in his mouth,
and he took it off from the knuckles. She cried out :
248 The Fimis.
" Of all those lying there, may you be the last man of
your mother's race to rise !'
" No, but I shall be the second man to rise," and he
rose up, and threw off both of their heads together.
He was there but a short time after he got that battle
over when he heard the musical harpers drawing near,
and the next regiment hurrying towards him. He was
overcome with fatigue and was dropping asleep. To
keep himself awake, he placed the hilt of his sword on
the upper part of his foot and the point to his eyebrow,
and whenever he began to nod the sword kept him
awake. When the band of soldiers passed near him he
came up after them and killed them all.
He now thought the Tall Old Man would not be long
of appearing, and he began to dig a wide, deep hole in
the earth, and to cover it with wood, grass, and moss.
When the pitfall was nearly finished, in the gathering
twilight the terrific and incomparably dreadful Big Grey
Man came, and he and the little Swaddler began to
fight a battle. They attacked one another roughly and
fiercely. In the heat of the conflict they drew near the
opening that was in the ground, and the terrible Great
Man fell in. Then the little Swaddler took the advan-
tage of him, and cut off his head.
Shortly after this fight was over, the Old Woman,
whose size was large and great, appeared. As she
came close to him, her breath was weakening him ; he
endeavoured as much as he could to keep her from him,
and they fought almost all night. At the break of day,
when one of the brothers awoke, he said to him-
self: "I must rise, for I am certain that the man who
went to fight in my place is long since dead."
Another of the brothers said : "That part is not the
worst of it for you, but that your kingdom will be de-
stroyed." The third brother said to them all : " We had
better go together to the place w^hcre the battle is being
fought."
Fiomis Ransom. 249
They then set off, and when they arrived at the place
of battle, they found the Enormous Old Wife and the
little Swaddler both together, quite exhausted. One of
the brothers then said : " Oh ! will you not give me the
sword, that I may cut off the wretched Old Woman's
head ?"
" Since I finished the foot measure," said the little
Swaddler, " I will undertake the inch measure ; but do
you put your finger in that little Life-restoring Stoup
over there, and then place it in my mouth."
When the little Swaddler had this done to him, he
rose, swept the head of the Old Woman, and killed her.
The Tall Men then carried him home on their shoulders,
and they continued to live together.
One day, when the little Swaddler went to the hill
to look abroad, he saw the darkening of a shower coming
from the north-west, out of which came a rider on a
black steed, who fiercely attacked the little Swaddler ;
but he drew his sword, and cut off the head of the rider
of the black steed. Then the little Swaddler, finding
that he was quite dead, tried to get the valuables he pos-
sessed ; but on searching him, he found only two combs
and a slimi, silken purse, in which were Fionn Mac-
Cumhail's six teeth. He took possession of them, and
returned home.
One of the brothers asked him what he saw to-day
(that day) on his travels. He said that he did not see
anything that gave him pleasure, but the gloom of a
shower from the north-west, out of which came a rider
on a black horse. " He tried to cut off my head ; but I
drew my sword and separated his head from his body,"
said the little Swaddler.
" What treasure have you found upon him ?" they
asked.
" I only found two combs and a slim, silken purse, in
which there were six teeth," said he.
250 The Fians.
" Alas ! alas !" said the tallest brother, " you never
did any good for us before that is not equalled by the
evil you have done us to-day. You have killed our
father's only brother, who went abroad once a year,
through every kingdom of the Universe to its remotest
bounds, and returned to give us a history of everything
that was taking place."
What the little Swaddler said to them was : " If the
act that I performed is not pleasant to you, I will play
the selfsame trick on yourselves."
Another of the brothers then said : " It has been long
foretold that it would be the restorer of Fionn Mac-
Cumhail's loss who would give us deliverance from all
our warfare and conflicts."
The little Swaddler now said that he thought he
would leave them, as he had found Fionn's Ransom.
In reply, the brothers said they would give him a Black
Steed that would ride the green ocean as though it were
the fair grassy land. " And you will bring to our sister
news of us, and make her your lawful wife."
The Little Man with the Steed then directed his face
for P^einne Land, and in the dusk and twilight of that
evening was with Fionn MacCumhail, to inquire from
him and his foster brothers whether they had found
the Ransom.
They all answered that they had not found it. He
then drew out the slim, silken purse, with the Six Teeth
contained in it, and said to Fionn : " Your Ransom is
there, but your foster brothers did not get it for you."
EiRiG FiilNN.
Aon uair chaidh Fionn 's a thriuir cho-dhaltan, an Ridire
Dearg, Ridire 'Chuirn, 's Ridire 'Chlaidheimh, do 'n bheinn
sheilg 's shuidh lad air cnocan boidheach breac, a ghabhail
seallaidh, am fasgadh na gaoilhe, 's fa cliomhair na greine,
Eirig Fhinn. 2 5 1
far am faiceadh iad fhein h-uile duine 's nach fiiaiceadh duine
iad fhein. Mar bha iad tacain 'nan suidhe an sin, thuirt Ridire
'Chlaidheimh, "Saoil mi an do choisich e talamh na 'n d'
imich e an t-athar, fear aig an robh chridhe tair na tarcuis
a dheanamh air Fionn Mac Cumhail 's a thriuir cho-dhaltan
comhiadh ris."
Mu 'n gann a so bha facal air radhainn, chunnaic iad dubhr-
adh froise tighinn as an Aird 'n iar thuath, as an d' thainig
fuaim siubhail seachad 's marcaiche steud' dhubh'. Rinn e
direach far an robh Fionn 's bhuail e mu 'n bheul e, 's chuir
e tri fiaclan as gu h-ard 's gu h-iosal. Dh' eirich Ridire
'Chlaidheimh sin, 's thuirt e gu'n deanadh an talamh lag 'na
bhonn 's an t-athar nead 'na cheann, 's nach bu cheum tilleidh
dha, " Gus am faigh mi Ij^irig Fhinn." Thubhairt an da cho-
dhalta eile, an t-aon ceudna. Ghabh iad sin sios gu cladach,
's thoisich iad air uidheamachadh luing air son falbh. Cha
robh iad fada aig an obair so 'nuair a chunnaic iad Fear Beag
losal Lapanach a' teannadh air an aite 'san robh iad. Dh'
fhailtich iad e ; 's dh' fharraid esan sin do Ridire 'Chlaidh-
eimh am faigheadh e cead no comas falbh leo air an luing.
Fhreagair Ridire 'Chlaidheimh:
"Cha'n fhaigh. 'De feum dheanadh duine leibideach coltach
riutsa dh' fhalbh leinne le luing ?"
Dh' fharraid e sin do Ridire 'Chuirn an robh doigh aige-san
air gu 'm faigheadh e dol leo air an turus, ach thubhairt Ridire
'Chuirn, nach robh feum aca air duine mi-choltach mar bha
esan air luing.
Chuir e sin a' cheist cheudna ris an Ridire Dhearg, 's fhreagair
esan, gu 'm bu mhi-iomchuidh leithid sin do cheist a chur
air-san.
" Co bhitheadh co dana 's gu 'n d' thoireadh iad ablach do
chreutair lachduinn, leibideach coltach riutsa leo air luing gu
cuan."
Dh' fhalbh e so gu Fionn 's dh' innis e dha gu 'n do dhiult iad
sid uile e, 's dh' fharraid e dheth an leigeadh esan comhiadh
ris e.
" Leigidh," orsa Fionn; " 's fhearr thu na clach co dhiu."
Chuir iad mach an long. Thug iad toiseach ri muir 's
252 The Fians.
deireadh ri tir; thog iad na siiiil bhreaca bhaidealach an aghaidh
nan crannaibh fada, fulangach, fiiitha le soirbheas, beag, lagach
ciuinabheireadh duilleach bharr chraoibh, seileach bharrbheann,
's fraoch og as a bhun 's as a fhreumhaichean, 'cur na fairge
fiolcanaich falcanaich an leathoir chein 's an leathoir fliaisg, 's an
fhaochag bheag cham chiar a bha seachd bliadhna air an aigeal
'toirt chuigchnag air a beul mbr,'s sad air a h-urlair. 'Sebu chebl
's bu chanran doibh, sgiamhail easgann sgreadail fhiaclan, a'
bheist a bu motha ag itheadh na beist a bu lugha 's a 'bheist a bu
lugha 'deanamh mar a dh' fheudadh i. Ghearradh i an coinl-
ean coirce aig a ro-thoseach le feabhas a stiuirimiche 's dhean-
adh Fionn Mac Cumhail iul 'na toiseach, stiuir 'na deireadh, 's
beairt 'na buiUsgean, 's shuidhich iad a cursa air Rioghachd nam
Fear Mora.
Mar bha iad da latha aig sebladh dh' iarr Fionn air Ridire
'Chlaidheimh sealltuinn o 'n chrann am faiccadh e fearann.
Chaidh Ridire 'Chlaidheimh so astar beag suas, 's thill e nuas,
's thuirt e nach robh roinn no earrann ri fliaicinn. Dh' iarr
Fionn so air Ridire 'Chuirn dol dh' fheuchainn am faigheadh
esan sealladh air fearann 's chaidh esan suas astar goirid 'sa
chrann, 's thill e nuas, 's thuirt e nach robh sgathadh do thalamh
na do thuar 's an fhradharc. Dh' iarr an so Fionn air an
Ridire Dhearg sealltuinn uaithe am faiceadh e fearann, 's
cha deachaidh esan suas ach gle bheag astair 'sa chrann dar
a theirinn e, 's thuirt e nach robh fearann na fonn ri fhaicinn
's nach robh 'san t-sealladh ach muir 's athar. Dh' eirich so am
Fear Beag losal Lapanach, 's thuirt e riutha, " Mur deanadh
sibh na b' fhearr na sid bha e cheart co math dhuibh fuireach
far an robh sibh," 's leum e 's rainig e barr a' chroinn, 's mar
thill e air ais thuirt e ri Fionn:
"Tha e mor a dh' flieannaig, 's beag dh' fliearann; ach cum
romhad mar tha thu."
An latha 'r 'n ath mhaireach bha iad 'sa chaladh 'an Riogh-
achd nam Fear Mora.
Mar rainig iad an acairseid cha 'n fhaigheadh iad air tir.
Bha tri Gathan Teinnteach 'cuairteachadh a 'chalaidh.
Sin chuir am Fear Beag losal Lapanach, sgiath bhucaid-
each, bhacaideach air a laimh chli 's air a laimh dheis, 's thug e
Eirig Fhinn. 253
lenm nan tri Eang a 's bha e air tir. Mar fhuair e fhein gu
tir thug eFionn 's athri co-dhaltan ann cuideachd. Ghabh iad sin
gu siubhal an Eilein 'nan ceathrar. Mar bha iad 'dol roimhe
thachair riutha boirionnach mbr 's measan donn, builgeanta
aig a sail, 's h-uile h-uair a shealladh am measan air Fionn bhiodh
na fiaclan 'dol ann mar bha iad riamh, 's mar 'thionndaidh am
measan a chulthaobh bha na fiaclan falbh a Fionn. Shaoil an
so na co-dhaltan aig Fionn gu 'n robh Eirig Fhinn aca, agus
ghoid iad leo an Te Mhbr 's am Measan do 'n long, 's dh' f hag iad
am Fear Bcag losal Lapanach 's an Eilean.
Bha esan 'siubhal 's a 'sior imeachd roimhe, 's 'an dorchadh
na h-oidhche chunnaic e bothan beag 's solus ann. Chaidh
e stigh 's bha teine mbr ann an sin, ach cha robh duine
roimhe. Cha robh e bheag 'sam bith a dh' uine 'feitheamh 's
ag eisdeachd mar thainig Duine Mbr dhachaidh 's thuirt e :
" Gu de naigheachd an Fhir Bhig losail Lapanaich?" Thuirt
esan, nach robh naigheachd 'sam bith mur fhaigheadh e aig
an Fhear Mhbr a thainig stigh i.
" Cha 'n 'eil mo naigheachd fhein ach bochd," ors' am Fear
Mbr. "Tha mo phiuthar aluinn a nigheadh mi 'sa bhallan
ionnlaid 'nuair a thiginn dhachaidh o chur a'chath's a bhithinn co
sunndach an latha 'r 'n mhaireach dhol chur chath 's chomhraig
's a bha mi riamh, air toirt air falbh 's i air chall 's air seachran
orm."
" Mur deanadh i ach sin dhuit," ors' Fear Beag losal
Lapanach, "ma dh' fhaoidte gu'n dean mi fhein e," 's ghabh
e sios 's nigh e 'sa bhallan-ionnlaid e, 's cha robh am fear ud
riamh na b' aoibhneiche na bha e sin.
Thainig nis brathair eile dhachaidh, 's thuirt e 'nuair bha e
stigh, " De naigheachd an Fhir Bhig losail Lapanaich ?"
" Cha 'n 'eil bheag na mhbr do naigheachd agamsa," ors'
am Fear Beag losal Lapanach, "mur faigh mi uait fhein i."
" Cha'n 'eil fath mo naigheachdsa ach trom," ors' am fear so.
" Tha mo phiuthar ghradhach a nigheadh mi 'sa bhallan-ionnlaid
'san fheasgar an deighinn a chath, 's bhithinn an latha 'r 'n
mhaireach co math 's a bha mi riamh, air toirt air falbh 's a
measan donn builgeanta aig a sail."
" Mur deanadh i ach sin," ors' am Fear Beag losal Lapanach,
2 54 ^-^^^ Fians.
" feudaidh mise amuis air," 's chuir e 'm Brathair Mor so 'sa
bhallan ionnlaid, 's nigh 's ghlan e e, 's an latlia 'r 'n mhaireach
bha e cheart co ur dhol an chath 's a bha e riamh.
Thainig an ath-fhear dhiu sin rithist dhachaidh, 's thuirt e
cheart seanachas a thuirt a bhraithrean.
" De sgeul an Fhir Bhig losal Lapanaich ?"
" Cha 'n 'eil innseadh sgeoil 'sam bith agamsa," ors' esan.
" Nach 'eil na 's fhearr aig an Fhear Mhbr laidir a thainig
dhachaidh."
"Cha 'n 'eil mo chuid sgeoil-sa ach truagh," thuirt esan. "Tha
mo phiuthar cheutach a nigheadh mi 'sa bhallan-ionnlaid dar
thillinn o chur a' chath, 's bhithinn an la 'r 'n mhaireach na b'
fhearr na bha mi riamh gu dol air m' ais a chath 's a chomhrag,
air a toirt air falbh, 's bithidh mi nis gun chli gun chomhairle."
" Mur deanadh i ach sin duit feudaidh mi fhein feuchainn
ris,"ors' am Fear Beag losal Lapanach, 's thug e do cheann eile an
tighe e 's nigh 's ghlan e 'sa bhallan-ionnlaid e, 's an la 'r 'n
mhaireach bha e na bu deise na bha e riamh roimhe air son
cath 's comhrag a chumail.
An sin thuirt am Fear Beag losal Lapanach, " An leig sibh
mise chur a' chath an nochd air 'ur son ?"
Thuirt fear de na Braithrean ris, "A dhuine thruaigh ! 'De
tha thusa dol a dheanamh ann leat fhein dar tha iad cumail
ruinne 'nar triuir?"
" Ach nach innis sibh dhomh gu de na bheil tighinn a chur
dragh oirbh ?" ors' am Fear Beag.
Fhreagair sin fear dhiu gu'n robh reisimeid shaighdearan
'tighinn 's ged chuireadh e an ceann bharr h-uile h-aon diu gu'n
robh cailleach mhbr a thigeadh as a dheighinn, 's stbpan Ath-
bheothachaidh aice, 's 'nuair a chuireadh i a meur as an stopan
Ath-bheothachaidh 'nam beul, gu 'n eireadh h-uile aon diu beo.
" An dig ach sin ?" ors' esan.
" Thig," ors' an Ath-fhear, " reiseamaid eile, 's cruitearan
ciuil air an ceann, 's cuiridh iad sin 'nad chadal thu."
" An dig ach sin?" ors' esan.
" Thig," ors' Fear eile dhiu, " Bodach Mbr Uamhbhanta
Gabhanta a leagas tu 's a bheir uat do bheatha, mur cum tliu
cath oidhche ris, 's Cailleach mhbr 's ma ghcibh i dluth dhuit
marbhaidh a h-anail thu."
Eirig Fhinn. 255
" An dig ach sin ?" ors' esan.
Thuirt iadsan nach tigeadh, 's fhuair e cead falbh an oidhche
sin thun a' bhatail.
Mar rainig e chunnaic e a'cheud reiseamaid 'tighinn, 's chaidh
e 'm falach gus an deachaidh iad seachad, 's thainig e air an cul
diaobh 's mharbh e h-uile h-aon riamh dhiu. Chunnaic e nis
Cailleach Mhor, thar tomhais 'am meudachd, 'tigliinn 's stbpan
Ath-bheothachaidh 'na laimh, 's mar chunnaic esan i tighinn leig
e e-fhein 'na shineadh 'san streath 'san robh na daoine marbh.
Chuir ise a corrag as an stopan Ath-bheothachaidh ann am beul
an Fhir a bha laimh ris, 's leum e beo. Chuir i 'na bheul-san
an ath-uair i, 's thug e dhith a' chorrag o 'n rudan. Ghlaodh
ise :
" Gu'm bu tu Fear mu dheireadh de shhochd do mhathair
dh' eiricheas de na bheil 'nan laidhe sin."
"Chamhi,ach's mi an darna Fear a dh' eiricheas," 's dh' eirich
e 's thilg e na cinn dhiu le cheile, agus cha robh e sin ach nine
ghoirid an deighinn am blar sin chur seachad tra chual' e na
CruitearanCeolmhor sin tighinn'san ath-reiseamaid casadh air.
Bha e air a chlaoidh thairis's e'tuiteam 'na chadal; 's g'a chumail
fhein 'na fhaireachadh, charaich e ceann a chlaidheimh ri
uchdan a choise 's a bharr ri 'mhalaidh, 's h-uile cnotachcadail a
bha 'tighinn air, bha anclaidheamh 'ga chumail'na dhusgadh ; 's
mar thainig a' Bhuidheann Shaighdearan fagasg dha, ghabh e air
an culthaobh 's mharbh e uile iad. Smaoinich e so nach biodh
am Bodach Mbr ro fhada gun tighinn, agus thbisich e air
deanamh toll farsuinn domhain anns an talamh, 's gu 'chur
thairis le fiodh, 's le feur, 's le cbinneich.
Dar bha e gu bhi curnaichte, 'an croma-ciar's'an trath-dhorcha
an fheasgair thainig am Bodach Uambhanta Gabhanta mi-
chuimseach mi-choimeasach ud, 's thoisich e fhein 's am Fear
Beag losal Lapanach air cur a 'chath. Theann iad ri cheile gu
garbh, gabhaidh, 's am 'san ruith dhluthaich iad air an f hosgladh
a bha 'san lar, 's chaidh am Fear Mbr ann, 's fhuair esan cothrom
air a cheann a thoirt dheth.
Beagan uine an deighinn so thainig a 'Chailleach bu Mhotha
's bu mhor. 'Nuair bha i gu bhi laimh ris, bha a h-anail 'ga
lagachadh ; dh' f heuch e co math 's a b' urrainn dha cumail
256 The Fians.
uaithe, 's bha iad cluich chathadh chuid bu mhotha do 'n
oidhche. Ann am briseadh soilleireachd an latha, mar dhuisg
Fear do na Braithrean, thuirt e ris f hein, "Feumaidh mis' eiridh,
tha mi cinnteach gu bheil am Fear a chaidh a chur chath' air
mo shon marbh o cheann fhada."
Thuirt Fear eile, " Cha 'n e sin 's duilghe dhuit ach gu'm bi
do Rioghachd air a sgrios." Ach thuirt an treasa brathair riu
uile : " 'S fhearr dhuinn dol far am bheil iad 'cur a 'chath" 's a
mach ghabh iad 's thug iad orra far an robh iad a' cluich
bhatailibh. Air dhoibh ruigheachd, fhuair iad a' Chailleach
mhbr 's Fear Beag losal Lapanach air toirt thairis, taobh air
thaobh.
Thuirt Fear de na Braithrean, "O! nach d' thoir thu dhomh
an claidheamh, feuch an cuir mi an ceann bharr na beiste."
Bho'n rinn mi fhein an troidh, ni mi an t-birleach," ors' am
Fear Beag losal Lapanach : "Ach cuir thusa do mheur anns an
stbpan Ath-bheothachaidh ud thall, as cuir 'am bheul-sa sin i."
Rinn e so, 's dar fhuair am Fear Beag losal Lapanach so, ghluais
e 's sguab e 'n ceann bharr na Cailliche : 's bha i marbh !
Thog na Fir Mhbra leo dhachaidh e sin air an guaillean.
Bha iad fuireach comhladh.
Aon latha chaidh am Fear Beag losal Lapanach mach air
chuairt feadh a' mhonaidh, 's chunnaic e dubharadh froise
'tighinn as an Aird 'n iar thuath, as an d' thainig Marcaiche
Steud dhubh, 's thug e garbh ionnsuidh air an Fhear Bheag
losal Lapanach, ach tharruing esan a chlaidheamh 's chuir a 'n
ceann de mharcaiche na steud dhubh. 'Nuair fhuair e marbh e,
dh' fheuch e sin gu de na fiachan bha e giiilan. 'Nuair rannsaich
e cha do thachair ris ach da chir, sporan seang, sioda 's sia
Fiaclan Fhinn 'ic Cumhail ann. Thill e dhachaidh 's sid aige.
Dh' fharraidFear do na Braithrean, 'De chunnaic e 'n diugh air
chuairt. Thuirt esan nach fhaca ni sam bith a thug toileachadh
dha, ach dubhradh froise as an Aird 'n iar thuath as an d'
thainig marcaiche steud dubh, " 'S dh' fheuch e ris a' cheann
a thoirt bharramsa ach tharruing mise mo chlaidheamh as
sgar mi dheth-san an ceann, "ors' am Fear Beag losal Lapanach.
" De fhuair thu 'na luib ?" ors' iadsan.
" Cha d' fhuair ach da chir, 's sporan seang sioda anns an
robh Sia Fiaclan," ors' esan.
Eirig Fk in n. 257
" Och ! och ! " ors' am Bn^thair Mor, " cha d' rinn thu do
mhath riamh dhuinn nach d' rinn thu do chron an diugh, dar
mharbh thu aon Bhrathair ar n-Athar a bha 'cur cuairt uair 'sa
bhliadhna air uile Rioghachdan an Domhain diomhair 's a
thigeadh a thoirt dhuinne eachdraidh air gach ni mar bha 'del."
'Se thuirt am Fear Beag losal Lapanach riutha sin, " Mur 'eil an
gniomh a rinn mi taitneach leibh, ni mi cheart chleas oirbh
fhein."
Sin thuirt fear eile de na Braithrean, " 'S fhada bho'n tha e
'san tailgneachd gur e Fear a thigeadh a thogail Eirig Fhinn 'ic
Cumhail a bheireadh saorsa dhuinne as gach cath as comh-
rag. '
Thuirt am Fear Beag losal Lapanach gu'n robh e smaoint-
eachadh air falbh nis bho 'n fhuair e Eirig Fhinn. Mu
choinneamh sin thuirt na Braithrean ris, gu'm faigheadh e
uapa-san Steud dhubh a mharcaicheadh an cuan glas mar
machaire geal sgiamhach, " 'S bheir thu ar naigheachd-sa do 'r
piuthar 's bitheadh i agad fhein 'na mnaoi phosda."
Thug esan 's an Steud an aghaidh air an Fheinn 's am bial
an athaidh 's an fheasgair, bha e le Fionn Mac Cumhail a dh'
fharraid dheth fhein 's de 'cho-dhaltan an d' fhuair iad an Eirig,
's fhreagair iadsan, nach d' fhuair. Thug esan raach an
sporan seang sioda 's na Si a Fiaclan ann, 's thuirt e ri Fionn,
" Tha d' Eirig an sin, 's cha d' rinn do cho-dhaltan 'fhaighinn
dhuit."
17
NUMBERING OF DUVAN'S MEN.
(AiREAMH Fir Dhubhain.)
According to popular lore, Duvan {Dnbhan) was a man
somewhere far away in the North (it is noticeable that
whenever the locality of a place is unknown, if it existed
at all, it is said to be in the Far North), and Fionn was
asked to his house. A plot was laid to destroy Fionn
and his men, and on this coming to the knowledge of
the daughter, she made an arrangement by which every
one of Dubhan's men were got out of the house, and
Fionn's men only were left in. The men were set in a
circle, and continuously counting, every ninth man was
made to rise and go out. This is a curious arithmetical
problem, and its existence, wherever it is to be found,
will be an important item in the question of races, and
where this class of tales had their origin.
The numeration is as follows : —
" Four wild white men, at the beginning,
And five black next to them,
Of Duvan's tall fighting men,
Two from MacCumal, anew ;
One from Dewan of reddish comeliness,
Three from Fionn of fairest appearance,
One from Devan of secret purposes.
Fionn will not sit in the Fair Fort
Without two black ones on one hand,
And two white ones by his side
Of the family of the King of Alban.
Two black ones about determined Duvan,
One white one in their company.
Two smart black ones near these,
Two from Fionn and one from Duvan."
Numbering of Ditvan s Men. 259
" Ceathrar fear fionn fiadhaich air thus,
Mar chbigear dhubha 'nan dail,
Do dh' fhearaibh ard fir chogaidh Dhubhain,
Dithis o Mhac Cumhaill a nuadh,
Fear o Dhubhan dreach ruadh,
Triuir o Fhionn 's aillidh dreach,
Fear o Dhubhan diuramach,
Cha suidh Fionn anns a 'Bhrugh Bhan,
Gun dithis dhubh' air a leth laimh,
'S gun dithis fhionna air a leis,
Do theaghlach Righ Albainn.
Dithis dhubh' mu Dhubhan dhil,
Aon fhear fionn 'na fhochair sin.
Da lasgair' dhubh 'nan dail,
Dithis o Fhionn 's fear o Dhubhan."
Albainn is the present name of the kingdom of
Scotland, as distinguished from Ireland or England.
The terminal syllable seems merely to denote a region,
and the initial syllable "Alb" is perhaps connected with
Alpine, denoting a wild or mountainous region, and was
probably applied at first to some region bordering upon
the Highlands and Lowlands. Breadalbane means only
the heights of Alban ; the word braigh denotes the
upper part of districts, the d being only accessory and
intercalated.
17^
THE LAD WITH THE SKIN COVERINGS;
OR,
Ceudach, Son of the King of the Colla Men.
White Dew, son of the King of Gold, and White
Hand, son of the King of France, and Ceudach, son of
the King of the Colla Men, were companions. Ceudach,
son of the Colla King, was a poor lad, but had every
accomplishment and gift befitting a King's son. One
day, when the three companions were returning home
driving a ball (shinty, or football playing, it does not
appear which) before them, the ball by chance went into
the house of a woman whose occupation was working at
silver-work, and destroyed the work. The scheme pro-
posed and agreed to by the three boys was, that he who
was standing nearest the door should go in to get the
ball. White Hand, son of the King of France, went
in, and roughly demanded the ball to be thrown out,
but the woman refused until she got payment from him
for the loss of the silver-work, saying to him, " More
than asking it is necessary, young man ; come in and
pay it." But he said to her, " You will keep it a long
time before I pay it."
White Dew, King of Gold's son, went in the same
way, and was equally unsuccessful in recovering the
ball. Then Ceudach went in gently where the woman
was bending over the fragments of her labour, and asked
modestly and cheerfully, with the utmost grace and
polish, that the ball be given back. It was returned to
him with a handful of gold and silver for his civility.
She then laid the three under crosses and spells, " That
you will fall back to back in the same battle."
The Lad with the Skin Coverings. 261
" Up and down with your crosses and spells !" they
said.
" Neither up nor down, but that same," she replied.
They then left, and were wandering about for some
time, when they parted with each other amidst great
sorrow and lamentations. On the hillock where they
parted, they promised to meet again. In the long run,
the promise was made good, and it was then agreed
amongst them that they should go for the daughter of
the King of the Iron City to be wife to White Dew, son
of the King of Gold. The others were armed, but not
Ceudach. When they reached the city, they found that
it was surrounded by a wall with several gates on it.
They were told that in front of the King's house there
were twenty-score poles with a head on each pole with
the exception of three, and that a great beast was
guarding the palace. White Hand, son of the King of
France, said he would go to see what the beast was like.
He did not go very near it, when he hastily returned,
and his companions asked what like it was. He said
that its appearance was frightful, and no one could go
near it. Then White Dew, son of the King of Gold,
said he would go, that he was an armed warrior, and
should not be daunted by any man or thing. He went,
and if he did not keep further away, he did not go any
nearer to the monster. Then Ceudach said he would go
whatever would happen to him ; they said, it was not
very likely that he would succeed, unarmed, when they,
in full panoply, could not go near. Ceudach said, he
was never with a master who would not let him try
what he could do. They said that their confidence in
his success was but weak, but since he was so strong in
his own opinion, he could go and try. Then he got the
armour of White Hand, son of the King of France.
When he reached the place he found the beast sleeping,
and was stepping across it, when it awoke, and said to
262 The Finns.
him, " You must be a bold man to try and get past me
without asking leave ; it is not in that way you will get
in. Well I know the object of your journey and travel ;
there are twenty-score posts in the fence before the
house, and only three of them empty ; many a human
countenance I have destroyed, and your head will be on
one of the posts to-night ; you will get no respite from
me ; take care of yourself." With that the Beast arose,
shook itself, and they attacked each other with such
fury that the sound of the wild slapping of the onslaught
was to be heard at a good distance. The King's
daughter was at the window with sixteen of her at-
tendant maidens, and on hearing the sounds of the
combat, she put her head out of the window, and was
watching what was going on. In one of the throws,
Ceudach threw off the head of the great Beast, but it
was no sooner off than it flew on again. The King's
daughter then called out, that when he got the head off
the next time, he was to hold the sword to the marrow-
bone of the Beast till the blood froze, and the head
would not go back on its neck again, and that would
kill it.
" Many a day," said the Beast, " I have been guarding
you, and if that is all the reward I am to get for defending
you so long, I will take off his head first and then
yours."
What happened was, that the head was swept off the
Beast and never went back on its neck again, and it
filled the three empty poles, or stobs, that were in the
fence before the house.
The other two came now to see what happened, or
what their chances were of getting the King's daughter.
She would only follow the one that killed the Beast, but
to prevent any ill-feeling amongst them, she took a fine
way, and made them a law that whoever of them would
enter at the same door with her would be the one that
The Lad zvit/i the Skin Coverings. 263
she would follow, and in spite of all evil and mishaps, it
so chanced that Ceudach went in at the same door after
her. He had a knowledge of the " black art", and it was
by means of it that he was able to know the door at
which she had entered, rather than any of the other doors,
and they were married. The others were going to leave,
full of pride at being rejected by the King's daughter.
She said to them, at parting, that she was laying them
under crosses and spells, and the nine cow-spancels of the
fairy woman, the bald tricky calf (i), worse than its name,
to take off their heads without warning if they w^ould not
meet together at the end of a year and a day, whether
they were alive or dead. When the others went away,
he thought of going to Fionn, where the Fians were idle,
but she advised him to remain where he was that night,
and before daylight she had a dress of skins without flaw
or fault ready for him (2).
When he put on the dress, she said, " May you enjoy
and wear your dress : your name will be The One with
the Skin Coverings" (3).
They went away together, and when they were
close upon the place where Fionn and his men were,
she asked to be allowed to make terms with Fionn.
He said that he had nothing to say against that (4).
When they reached, Fionn came to meet them, and asked
her what work her husband was good at. She answered,
that he could undertake to do one work well and three
badly, and that he was best at cookery. Fionn then
asked what wages he would want. He said that was
that his wife should get in amongst the Fian women.
Fionn then said to him, " I hold you in much esteem and
respect,"and asked him his name. He said he was the Man
with the Skin Coverings (5). He began his work; there
were seven-score fires to be attended to (6) and nine tables,
with nine times nine men sitting at each table, and
Fionn's table over and above, and he was not missed at
264 The Fiaiis.
any time. When he asked help for one who was able
to give it, two would be worthless. Fionn went round the
fires three times, and said he never saw better work.
One of the days a coracle was seen coming to the
harbour in which there was only one woman, who on
landing struck a challenge-note on a shield to send Fionn
Mac Cumal instantly and smartly down to where she
was, as she had a shirt that took her seven years and
seven days to make for him. One of the attendants,
some say it was Thinman {Caoilte), went down, and the
shirt was tried on him. It fitted, and she asked if he was
Fionn. He said, "Without doubt I am now." She then
stuck a small knife in the prow of the coracle, and said
to him, " If you can turn three times, standing on your
heel, on the point of that knife, you are undoubtedly
Fionn MacCumal." That one tried, but he was only able
to make a half-turn, and she said, " I knew myself that
you were not Fionn ; go up at once and quickly send down
Fionn MacCumal here, that I may try on him the shirt
that I have been so long making for him."
The Lad with the Skin Coverings was sent down this
time (7) ; the shirt was tried on and it fitted very well.
" But if you are Fionn, stand on your heel, on the point
of that small knife there, and turn round three times."
That one tried it, but he only turned round twice.
" You are not Fionn, yet," she said ; " go up quickly,
quickly, and send Fionn here, that I may try on him the
shirt I have been so long making for him."
When it was told Fionn that she would take no denial,
he said, "Whatever is to be done must be done."
When she saw Fionn she knew him at once ; she tried
on the shirt, and it fitted him perfectly, then she told him
to stand on the knife and turn round three times. He did
this easily. " Without any doubt, you are Fionn," she
said, and laid him under crosses and spells that he would
go to her father's kingdom three times under these spells
The Lad zvith the Skin Coverings. 265
and three times against them. She then went away, and
Fionn returned home and began to make ready.
In a year and a day the whole fleet of the Fians was
fitted out, and Fionn then cut down a tree, and made two
masts for a coracle ; when it was ready he went to the
wife of the Lad with the Skin Coverings and asked her
to allow her husband to go with them. " What request
could you make that would not be granted ?" she said,
and that she would let him go away with him, on condi-
tion that he would bring him back alive or dead. When
she was parting with her husband, she said :
"You are goingin search of the woman. I know and will
tell you who she is ; she is the daughter of a King Avack
Glun Du, from the city of Camlisk, under Druidic spells.
You will be the one to guide them ; you will go in Fionn's
own ship, and when you are a clay's sailing, you will go up
to the top of the mast and will see at some distance from
you the land of the Tutor of the Son of Avack Black
Knee, and on a white beach of sand,
'A little thickset man
In a russet coat, bounding three times.'
He will have a magic keg upon his shoulder, and will be
casting it into the sea. You are not to be afraid of him,
but put your hands on your hips, jump ashore, and you
will of a certainty reach land ; then catch hold of the little
man, take from him the magic keg, and strike him down
to the waist in the soft sand ; his death is not under the
heavens but in that way. You will take with you the
magic keg, and one who will steer you to the Kingdom
of Avack Black Knee (8), and when you reach the land,
the ships of the Tutor of the Son of Avack Black Knee
will come, then you will throw out the magic keg, and the
whole of the ships will be destroyed."
In this way everything occurred, and the Tutor's ships
were lost. Fionn then went away, he and his men of
2 66 The Fiajis.
war, to the King's Palace, and he struck a challenge note
on his shield. The King looked out and said, " Fionn
has come, and if he is on our side we will be the better
of it, but if he is against us it will be worse for us." The
King's daughter met them, and said, " You have come
sooner than we expected you."
"It is a good thing," Fionn said, "that everything that
is expected does not occur, otherwise I and my men
would have been lost to-day. I am here, as I was bound
to be ; and as you sought to take my life, I will now
take yours. Death is above you."
She then knelt to him, and asked him to spare her
life. He asked what she would give as a ransom (9) for
her life. She said that would be that she would assist him
any time when he was in danger or difficulty ; he
had only to remember her, and if he spared her life,
she would stand by him in right or wrong for ever.
Fionn said, " It is better to avoid wrong. Avoid
evil, and evil will avoid you," and that he would
spare her life, though she had not deserved much
kindness at his hands. He then turned away, he and
his men.
They had hardly left the harbour, when two ravens ap-
peared above the boat in which he was. The Lad with the
Skin Coverings jumped up along with them, but it was
only after they were sailing some time that they missed
him. Fionn turned his ship and went in search of him ;
he sought him everywhere, not only once but twice ; the
third time he found him and the two others lying back
to back, dead, on a green sward, among the stones of
the shore, in the Kingdom of Avack Black Knee. Fionn
took him with him and returned to the place where the
Fians were resting. When he reached the shore the
Lad with the Skin Coverings' wife was before them.
She said to Fionn, " Have you him with you alive or
dead ?" He said, " It is his death I have."
The Lad with the Skin Coverings. 267
" It is good to have him even in death," she said,
and when she saw his dead body what she said was :
" I would know you, though not by your dress,
But by your goodly waving locks,
And unless I tell lies.
You are Ceudach, Son of the King
Of the Colla men." (10)
Fionn then said, " I might easily have known that he
was the only son of my father's brother."
She asked Fionn to leave him with herself, and she
watched all night. At the dawn of the morning she saw
a small coracle coming with two men in it, one in the
bow and one in the stern, each with a sword throwing the
other's head off ; and when they were near the shore one
of them said to the other, " Look at the dead man in front
of the woman who is sitting on the rock." They came to
land where she was, and she said to them, " Will you not
try the small game of old on the man lying here?" (11)
On this one of them threw the head off the body with
his sword, and the dead man rose up alive and well as
before. They recognised each other then, that they were
those who went away together. Fionn with the whole
host of the Fians met them and carried them shoulder
high to Fionn's house, and the rejoicing on the occasion
was the second greatest entertainment ever held among
the Fians, and lasted seven days and seven nights.
GiLLE NAN COCHLA CRAICIONN.
Bha Ceudach mac Righ nan Collach, 's Driuchd Gle-gheal
mac Righ an Oir, 's Lamh Gle-gheal mac Ri na Frainge 'nan tri
chompanaich. Cha robh ann an Ceudach mac Righ nan
Collach ach duine bochd, ach bha h-uile oilean a dh' fheumadh
a bhi aig mic righrean aige. Latha bha sin dar bha an triuir
tighinn dachaidh ag iomain rompa, chaidh a' chniad stigh thaobh
2 68 The Fians.
tuiteamas do thigh te aig an robh obair airgid, agus bhristeadh
an obair airgid. 'Se an lagh rinn iad, 'nan triuir a so, am fear bu
teinne air an dorus gur esan rachadh stigh a dh' iarraidh na cniad.
Chaidh Lamh Gle-gheal mac Righ na Frainge stigh 's dh' iarr
e gu doirbh a' chniad chur a mach, ach, dhiult an te so a
dheanamh gus am faigheadh i paidheadh air son an obair airgid,
'se thuirt i ris, " Feumaidh tu tuille 's iarraidh dheanamh 'ille ;
thig stigh 's paidh e." 'Se thuirt esan rithe, " Cumaidh tu i
treis mu 'm paidh raise e."
Chaidh Driuchd Gle-gheal mac Righ an 6ir stigh 'sa cheart
ruith, 's cha d' eirich dha ni na b' f hearr 's cha d' fhuair e 'chniad.
An sin chaidh Ceudach gu s'obhalta stigh far an robh i crom
sealltuinn air na bloighean de 'n obair aice, is dh' iarr e gu
modhail suilbhir, 's gu ceannalta uasail, am faigheadh e a'
chniad air ais. Thug i dha air ais i 's Ian aid' a dh' or 's a dh'
airgiod air son a mhodhalais. Chuir i sin an triuir aca fo
chroisean 's fo gheasan, " Gu 'n tuit sibh cul ri cul 'san aon
chath."
" Sios 's suas do 'd gheasan," thuirt iadsan.
" Cha sios 's cha suas ach mar sid," thuirt ise.
Dh' fhalbh iad sin 's bha iad 'siubhal 's ag imeachd greis,
's dhealaich iad a' tuireadh 's a' caoidh. Air a 'chnoc air an
do dhealaich iad rinn iad cumhnanta gu 'n tachaireadh iad
a ris. Ri iiine thachair so. Chuir iad sin an cinn ri cheile
gu 'm falbhadh iad a dh' iarraidh nighean Righ na Cathrach
laruinn air son a bhi 'na bean do Dhriuchd Gle-gheal mac
Righ an Oir. Bha armachd aig an dithis eile ach cha robh
aig Ceudach. Dar rainig iad am baile mor, bha e air
chuairteachadh le balladh air an robh geatachan. Chaidh
innseadh dhoibh gu 'n robh fichead a dh' fhicheadan stob air
beul-thaobh tigh an Righ agus ceann air h-uile stob dhiu
sin ach tri, 's gu 'n robh Beist mhbr a' cumail dion air an tigh.
Thuirt Lamh Gheal mac Righ na Frainge gu 'n rachadh esan a
shealltuinn co ris a bha a' bheist coltach. Cha deachaidh esan
ro theann oirre 'nuair thill e ann an cabhaig, 's dh' fheoraich
a chompanaich dheth co ris a bha i coltach. Thuirt e riu gu 'n
robh coltas uamhasach oirre 's nach b' urrainn h-aon 'sam bith
dol mar astar dhith. Thuirt Driuchd Gle-s:heal mac Righ an
Gille nan Cochla Ci'aicionn. 269
Oir gu 'n robh e 'na ghaisgeach fo armachd 's nach bitheadh
eagal air roimh ni no neach. Dh' fhalbh e 's mure a b' fhaide
dh' fhan uaipe cha'n e bu teinne a chaidh oirre. Thuirt Ceudach
so gu'n rachadh esaii ann 'de 'sam bith dh' eireadh dha. Thuirt
iadsan nach robh e ro-choltach gu 'm buaidheachadh esan 's e
gun airm 'sam bith dar nach b' urrainn iadsan 's iad fo Ian
armachd dol g'a coir. Thuiit Ceudach, nach robh e riamh le
maighstir nach leigeadh leis fheuchain 'de b' urrainn da
dheanamh. Thuirt iadsan nach robh am beachd mu
dheighinn ach fann, ach bho'n bha e co daingean 'na bheachd
fhein gu feudadh e dol ann 's fheuchain. Thug Lamh Gle-
gheal mac Righ na Fraingc dha armachd fhein sin. Dar
rainig e 'n t-aite fliuair e 'n Uile-bheist 'na cadal, 's dar bha e
toirt ceum thairis oirre dhuisg i 's thuirt i ris, " Feumaidh gu
bheil thu misneachail dar tha thu feuchain ri faighinn seachad
ormsa gun chead iarraidh, cha 'n anns an doigh sin agheibh thu
stigh : 's math 's aithne dhomhsa ceann do sheud 's do
shiubhail. Tha fichead a dh' fhicheadan stob anns an
rathad mu choinneamh an tighe, 's cha 'n 'eil ach tri dhiu
falamh ; 's iomadh gnuis a mharbh mise riamh, 's bithidh do
cheannsa air fear do na stuib am maireach ; cha 'n fhaigh thu
fathamas 'sam bith bhuamsa ; bi deanamh air do shon fhein."
Leis a sin dh' eirich an Uile-bheist 's chrath i i fhein, 's
chaidh iad an caramh a cheile co searbh 's gu 'n robh slachd-
artaich na comhraig ri chluinntinn fad as cian air astar.
Bha nighean an righ le sia deug g' a maighdeanan coimheadach
aig an uinneig, 's dar chualaic i farum na h-iorghuill chuir
i a ceann mach, 's bha i 'ga fheitheamh. Ann an h-aon do na
ionnsuidhnean thilg Ceudach an ceann bharr a' Bheist mhoir,
ach cha bu luaithe bha e dhith na leum e air ris. Ghlaodh
nighean an Righ ris dar gheibheadh e an ceaim deth an ath
uair e chumail a' chlaidheamh fhuar ris an smior-chailleach
aig an Uile-bheist gus an reodhadh an fhuil, 's nach rachadh an
ceann air amhaich tuille, 's gu marbhadh sin e. " 'S iomadh
latha tha mi 'gad dhion, ma 's e sin an duais a tha mi dol a dh'
fhaighinn air a shon, bheir mi an ceann dheth-san an toiseach,
's sin bheir mi dhiotsa e."
'Se mar thachair gu 'n deachaidh an ceann thoirt thar an
270 The Fians.
Uile-bheist 's cha deachaidh e tuille air an amhaich. Lion e na
tri stuib a bha falamh air beul-thaobh an tighe, 's thainig so an
dithis eile a ghabhail sealladh air mar bha ciiisean dol na co de'n
triuir a dh' fheudadh ise fhaighinn. Cha ghabhadh ise ach am
fear a thug an ceann bhar na Uile-bheist, 's chum 's nach biodh
mi-thlachd air fear seach fear dhiu, ghabh i doigh ghrinn ; rinn
i lagh dhoibh, gur e fear 'sam bith rachadh stigh air an dorus air
an rachadh ise, gur e sin am fear a leanadh i, 's dh' aindheoin
gach uilc 's sgiorradh mar thachair 'se Ceudach chaidh stigh 'na
deighinn. Bha an Sgoil Dubh aige-san 's leis so bha fios aige
air an dorus air an deachaidh ise stigh, seach aon de na dorsan
eile, agus chaidh am pbsadh. Bha an fheadhainn eile so 'dol a
dhealachadh ris, Ian ardain nach d' fhuair iad fhein nighean
an righ. Thuirt ise sin 'san dealachadhgu 'n robh i 'gan cuirfo
chroisean 's fo gheasan 's fo naoi buaraichean na mna sith,
laogh maol carach na 's miosa na 'ainm, a thoirt chinn gun
chosnadh dhiu mur coinnicheadh iad comhla an ceann latha
's bliadhna c'dhiu bhiodh iad beo no marbh. Dar dhealaich an
dithis eile, smaointich esan air dol dh' ionnsuidh Fhinn far an
robh an Fheinn 'nan tamh, ach dh' iarr ise air fuireach far an
robh e 'n oidhche so, 's mu 'n d' thainig faire na maduinn,
bha deise chraicnean gun mhear gun uireasbhuidhaice deas dha.
Dar chuir i air an deise thuirt i ris, " Gu' m meal 's gu 'n caith
thu do dheise ; 's tu fear nan Cochulla Craicinn." Dh' fhalbh
iad comhla, 's dar bha iad teann air an aite 'san robh Fionn 's a
chuid dhaoine, dh' iarr ise gu' m faigheadh i fhein cumhnant a
dheanamh ri Fionn. Thuirt esan nach robh esan 'cur dad an
aghaidh sin. Dar rainig iad thainig Fionn 'nan coinneamh
's dh' tharraid e 'de an obair bha an duine aice math air, 's
fhreagair i gu'n gabhadh e os laimh aon obair a dheanamh gu
maith 's tri gu dona, 's gur e cocaireachd a b' fhearr e air. Dh'
fharraid Fionn so gu de an duals a bhiodh e 'g iarraidh, 's thuirt
e gu'mb'e gu'm bitheadh uaigneasmnathannaFeinneda mhnaoi.
Thuirt Fionn ris, " 'S mbr do mhiadh 's do mheas agam," 's
dh' fliarraid e 'ainm. Thuirt esan gum b' e Fear nan Cochulla
Craicinn. Thbisich e air obair. Bha seachd fichead teine
aige ri fhreasdal dhoibh, agus naoi buird 's naoi naoinear
'nan suidhe aig h-uile b6rd,"agus bbrd Fhinn air chul thaobh
Gille nan Cochla Craicionn. 271
sin, 's cha d' fliairich iad uapa aig am 'sam bith e. 'Nuair dh'
iarradh e cuideachadh air son h-aoin a bheireadh, bha dha nacli
b' aithne. Chaidh Fionn mu 'n cuairt nan teineachan tri
uairean 's thuirt e nach fhaca e obair riamh a b' fhearr.
Latha do na laithean chunnaic iad curachan beag tighinn
do 'n chaladh 's cha robh innte ach aon bhoirionnach, 's dar
thainig i air tir bhuail i beum sgeithe, Fionn Mac Cumhaill
a chur nuas gu tapanta far an robh ise, gu'n robh leine aice a
bha i seachd lathan 's seachd bhadhna 'deanamh air a shon.
Chaidh fear de na gillean fridhealaidh sios, 's chaidh an leine
fheuchain air, 's fhreagair i dha, 's dh' fharraid ise dheth ain
b' esan Fionn.
Thuirt esan, " 'S mi gun teagamh a nis." Chuir ise sin
sgian bheag ann an toiseach a' bhata, 's thuirt i ris,
" Ma chuireas tu tri chuir dhiot air shail air barr na sgeine
sin, 's tu gun teagamh Fionn Mac Cumhaill."
Dh' fheuch am fear ud ri sud a dheanamh, 's cha do chuir e
dheth ach bloigh cuir, 's thuirt ise, " Thuig mi fhein nach bu
tu Fionn ; rach suas gu luath 's cuir nuas gu tapanta Fionn
Mac Cumhaill 's gu 'm feuchainn uime an leine tha mi co
fada deanamh air a shon."
'N uair so chaidh Fear nan Cochulla Craicinn chur sios
's chaidh an leine fheuchain uime, 's fhreagair i gle mhath
dha. " Ach ma 's tu Fionn seas air do shail air an sgian
bheag sin a sin, 's cuir car tri uairean dhiot." Dh' fheuch am
fear ud 's cha do chuir e ach da char dheth. " Cha tu," ors'
ise, " Fionn fhathast ; rach suas gu ealamh, ealamh 's cuir nuas
Fionn Mac Cumhaill so 's gu 'm feuchainn-sa air an leine a tha
mi CO fada deanamh air a shon." Dar dh' innis iad do dh'
Fhionn nach gabhadh i diiiltadh, thuirt e, " Na tha ri dheanamh
feumaidh e dheanamh." Dar chunnaic ise Fionn dh' aithnich
i 'am priobadh na sul e ; dh' fheuch i an leme air 's fhreagair i
dha gun mhear gun uireasbhuidh, 's dh' iarr i air seasamh air an
sgian 's tri chuir chur dheth air a shail. Rinn e so gu reidh.
" Gun teagamh 's tusa, Fionn," 's chuir i fo chroisean 's fo
gheasan e gu'n rachadh e do rioghachd a h-athar " tri uairean air
mo bhuadhas 's tri uairean air mo dhimeas !" Leis a sin dh'
fhalbh i, 's thill Fionn dhachaidh 's thoisich e air deanamh deas.
272 The Fians.
An ceann latha 's bliadhna bha cabhlach na Feinne 'na h-uidh-
eam. Leag Fionn sin craobh 's chuir e da chrann 'sa ciiurachan.
Dar bha i deas chaidh e dh' ionnsuidh bean fear nan Cochulla
Craicinn, a dh' iarraidh oirre a leigeil air falbh comhla ris.
Thuirt i ris, " Tha thu dol air tbir na mna, tha fios agamsa 's
innsidh mi dhuit co i, is i nighean Abhaig Ghlun Dubh, a
Cathair na Camluisg fo dhruidheachd ; 's tusa ni iul dhoibh ;
bithidh tu 'san aona bhata ri Fionn, 's dar bhitheas tu latha aig
sebladh togaidh tu fearann Oide Abhaig Ghlun Dubh 's air an
traigh gheal ghaineamhaich,
' Fear beag iosal lapanach
Le cota lachdunn nan tri eang,'
's inneal druidheachd aige air a ghualainn' ga chaitheamh' san
fhairge ; na biodh eagal 'sam bith agad roimhe, ach cuir do
lamhan an ceanna do leis, 's leum air tir agus 's cinnteach gu 'n
ruig thu ; 's beiridh tu air an fhear bheag 's bheir thu uaithe an
inneal druidheachd 's cairidh tu e ann an comhair a chinn
gus an teis meadhon anns an t-sughanaich ghaineich, cha 'n eil
a bhas fo adhar ach 'san doigh sin. Bheir thu sin leat am
buideal druidheachd, 's fear a stiuireas tu gu rioghachd Abhaig
Ghlun Dubh, 's dar bheir thu mach fearann thig soithichean Oide
Abhaig Ghlun Dubh, 's caithidh tu mach an inneal druidh-
eachd, 's bithidh iad uile air an call."
'S ann mar sin thachair dhoibh air a' cheanna mu dheireadh,
's chaidh soithichean Oide Abhaig Ghlun Dubh a chall. Mach
ghabh Fionn 's a chuid feachd gu tigh an Righ. Bhuail e beum
sgeithe. Sheall an Righ mach 's thuirt e, " Tha Fionn air
tighinn 's ma 's ann leinn a bhitheas e, 's fheairde sinn e, 's ma 's
ann' nar n-aghaidh, 's misde sinn e."
Thainig nighean an righ 'nan comhdhail 's thuirt i, " Thainig
sibh na bu luaithe na bha fiughair ribh."
" 'S math," ors' Fionn, " nach tachair na bheil fiughair ris, air
neo bhithinn-sa 's mo chuid dhaoine air ar call an diugh, tha mi
so mar dh' fheumainn a bhi 's ma tha thusa air son mo bheatha
thoirt dhiom bheir mise nis dhiotsa do bheatha, 'Bas os d'
chionn.' " Chaidh ise air a glun dha dh' iarraidh air a beatha
'chaomhnadh dh' i. Dh' fharraid esan gu de eirig a beatha, 's
Gille nan CocJmlla Craicionn. 273
thuirt i gu'm b' e sin gu 'm bitheadh i leis uair sam bith a bhiodh
e 'n cas no 'n eiginn, 's na 'm mathadh e a beatha dhi nach biodh
aige ach cuimhneachadh oirre 's gu 'n seasadh i e 'n coir 's an
eacoir gu brath. Thuirt Fionn gum b' fhearr an t-olc sheachn-
adh, "seachuinn an t-olc 's seachnaidh an t-olc thu," 's gu
'm mathadh e a beatha dhi ged nach do choisinn i moran
caoimhneas uaith-san. Thill Fionn air falbh, e fhein 's a chuid
dhaoine, 's cha robh iad ach air togail o 'n chaladh dar nochdadh
da fhitheach os cionn a' bhata anns an robh e. Leum fear nan
Cochulla Craicionn suas comhla riu, 's 'sann dar a bha iad
tacan aig seoladh 'sann dh' fhairich iad 'gan dith e, 's
thill Fionn an soitheach mu 'n cuairt, 's chaidh e air a thbir, 's
dh' iarr e 'sa h-uile ait' e fo h-aon 's fo dha. An treas uair
fhuair e e fhein 's an fheadhain eile cul ri ciil marbh air lianag
ghorm, 'an clachan a 'chladaich ann an Rioghachd AbhaigGhlun
Duibh. Thug Fionn leis e 's thill e thun an aite 'san robh an
Fheinn 'nan tamh. Dar rainig iad an cladach bha 'bhean aig
Fear nan Cochulla Craicionn air thoiseach orra, 's thuirt i ri
Fionn, " A 'bheil a bheo no 'mharbh agad dhomh ?"
" Se a bhas a th' agam," thuirt esan.
"'S math marbh fhein," thuirt ise, 's dar chunnaic i marbh e
'se thuirt i,
" Dh' aithn'inn thu 's cha b' ann air eideadh,
Ach 'sann air chul ceudach clannach,
'S mur athris mi na breugan
'S tu Ceudach mac righ nan Collach."
Thuirt Fionn sin, " B' fhurasd' dhomh aithneachadh gur e
aon mhac brathar m' athar a th' ann."
Dh' iarr ise air Fionn 'fhagail aice fhein, 's dh' fhuirich i sin
fad na h-oidhche. Ann an soilleireachadh an latha chunnaic i
curachan beag 'tighinn 's dithis dhaoine innte. Bha fear 'san
toiseach 's fear 'san deire, 's claidheamh an t-aon aca 's iad 'tilgeil
nan ceann bhar a 'cheile. Dar thainig iad teann air a' chladach,
thuirt an darna fear ris an fhear eile, "Seall," ors' esan, "an
duine marbh a th' air beul-thaobh a' bhoirionnaich a tha 'na
suidhe air a' chreig."
Thainig iad air tir far an robh i, 's thuirt i riu, " Nach feuch
sibh an cleas beag o chian air an fhear a tha 'na laidhe so ?"
18
2 74 T^^^ Fians.
Aige so thilg fear dhiu an ceann bhar na coluinn leis a
chlaidheamh 's dh' eirich an duine marbh suas beo slan mar bha
e roimhe. Dh' aithnich iad a cheile, gur an fheadhainn a dh'
f halbh comhla bh' ann. Thainig Fionn 's a chuid dhaoine 'nan
coinneamh, 's thog iad air bharraibh an guaillean iad suas gu
tigh Fhinn, agus b' i sin an darna cuirm bu mhotha bha 'san
Fhdinn riamh, 's mhair i seachd lathan 's seachd oidhchean.
An imperfect version of the foregoing story, "The Sons
of the Three Kings", which the writer has, says they were
White Dew, son of the King of Gold, Lion, son of the
King of France, and Ceudach, son of the King of the
Colla men. When the school was dismissed, they were
in the habit of playing shinty, and Ceudach said he
would drive the ball against all the rest of the school.
The ball was of gold and the clubs of silver. A match
was played, and Ceudach won. They played for several
days, and every game was won by him, without their
being able to turn one stroke of his. A woman who
had been standing watching the play, came to him and
said:
" I lay you under crosses and charms that you will
never marry anyone but myself."
"Lift off me your crosses and charms," he said: "I
cannot keep you, and I do not want you."
She would not loosen him. Upon this he went to a
tailor, and got a suit of skin made for himself, to see if
she would not leave him when she saw him meanly clad.
She would not, however, part with him, and said :
" May you enjoy your name, My Lad with the Skin
Covering."
He then went to Fionn MacCumhaill, of whom he
heard that he would give employment to anyone with
The Fians. 275
suitable qualifications. When he reached they welcomed
each other {bheannaicJi esaii Fzomi, 's bJieminaicJi Fionn e).
Fionn asked his news; he said he had none, but was
seeking employment. Fionn asked him what trade he
followed and what work he could do. He said he would
leave the Feinn with one stocking and one shoe on, and
he would be so long before them in the farthest-off point
of Ireland that he would have meat and tents ready for
them when they reached. Fionn then asked what wages
he wanted.
" That I be the first person to whom you will tell what
causes you trouble or anxiety, and that my wife will be
in the best company of wives of the Feinn, and that when
the men arrive I take the other shoe off them."
On a good day soon after this, Fionn said:
"We will make trial whether you can perform what
you said."
The Lad with the Skin Covering left the Feinn with
one shoe and one stocking on, and when they reached
the farthest-off point of Ireland they found tents ready
before them, and meat. He went to take the shoe off,
and took off the foot along with the shoe.
Notes.
(i.) The terms of the spell call for attention, the prominence
given to the calf appears in several noticeable cases. The
instance among the Jews of the descent of Moses after receiving
the law of finding the people engaged in worshipping a golden calf
is well known ; it was not the gold that attracted the people's
adoration, but the calf. Among the ancient Egyptians, the ox
was an object of worship, and it is matter worthy of inquiry and
speculation whether this spell does not bear traces of the same
origin, and, if so, why?
(2.) Some say the dress was made of every sort of skin, others
say it was made of sheep-skin only, and others of goat-skin.
18 2
276 The Fians.
(3.) In the Highlands it is not deemed fortunate for the wearer
of a dress, when it is newly put on, that it should be a woman who
would wish him first the usual compliment of his enjoying and
wearing it. In Tiree, even at the present day, when a person puts
on a new suit for the first time, a woman meeting him says :
" Have they said it to you?" ('M;? d' thtiirt tad riut e?^'), meaning.
Has the compliment been already paid by a man? When the suit
is tried on by the tailor, and found fitting, the tailor himself, if he
is up to his work, will say it, as his own work is completely finished.
In this story all the evils that afterwards followed are ascribed to
the woman's having been too forward in using the expression. It
is said in some places that a married woman, whose firstborn is a
son, can use the expression harmlessly with the addition of " I
may say it" i^' Faodaidli mise a j-ddhain'").
(4.) In one version, it is said, he put on a dark skin-dress, so
that he might not be recognised by Fionn {Bha e air son e fhein
chumail do-aWuiichte do d/i Fhiomi).
(5.) It is said he was a near relative of Fionn's.
(6.) Another version says there were twenty score fires and
twenty score men round each fire.
(7.) Some also say that Dermid was the one sent the second
time.
(8.) Black Knee is a name that occurs also in the history of the
MacGregors.
(9.) The word £irig, which is here translated Ransom, and
which occurs several times in these stories about Fionn, denotes
a recompense, or the equivalent payment for which one's liberty
is given to him, or by which his character is vindicated from any
stain or reproach, or injury done to it, or aspersion thrown on it.
In the Book of Job the equivalent is redemption, denoting merely
freedom from the trials and misunderstandings that afflicted that
estimable and sorely tried old man.
(10.) This was the first time that Fionn heard who he was.
The King of the Colla men was his own father's brother, and this
Ceudach would be his own cousin-german.
There is another story called " The Lad with the Skin Covering",
which has no connection with the Fians. It has been thought
best, however, to retain the name used by the reciter of the tale
here given. In making inquiry about this section of the Fian
host, the name closely resembles the name given to the inhabi-
tants of the neighbourmg island of Coll, and a person of whom
inquiry was made regarding the tale said :
The Fians. 277
" The Coll men with a King ! — they never had and never will
have a King to themselves."
(11.) Another version says, "Will you not let me see the game of
ancient?" {^'■Nach leig thu fJiaicinn dhomh an cleas o chian?'').
As to extracting anything historical from these tales
and poems, or even to fix the time of the Fians, the
attempt would be useless. One cannot but be struck by
the prominence given to sword exercise, and the limit-
less extent of territory over which the Fians had scope.
The Gaelic proverb forces itself upon one's mind, that
suppositions are not sound sense (r/^<^z chialhiasaoilsiiuicati).
One thing is clear, that the Fians were of heathen belief,
and the mind is set wondering as to how Christianity
made its way so early to so remote a place as Ireland,
and how Irish manuscripts are so superior. If Jonah
was for taking ship to fly out of the known limits of the
world, that is, beyond the Straits of Gibraltar to Tarshish,
or the land north of Spain, it is by no means improbable
that persecution made Christianity at the very earliest
time spread itself abroad. An ancient name for Ireland
is Inisfail, and Innis, though rendered in dictionaries 'an
island', means, in ordinary names, 'a place of shelter', such
as were used near villages and growing towns for the
milking of cattle.
In Ardnamurchan, in the woods, and untouched by
water, there is a place called Innis-na-feoraig, the
squirrel's place of shelter ; and the celebrated In.sh of
Perth is not caused by the winding of the Tay and must
have derived its name from the place having been used
for the milking of cattle, when Perth was a growing
village. To fall back upon the Irish name, the last
account we have of Paul from his own writings is that
he intended next summer to go to Spain. The religious
2/8 The Finns.
persecutions have made men cross angry seas, and
betake themselves to remote situations, even when not
so severe as we hear of in early Christian times. We
are told that under the Roman Emperors Christians
were smeared over with tar, and set on fire at street-
corners to make the streets clear at night. It is there-
fore not at all unlikely that men of wealth and means
fled or made their way to places the most remote, to
avoid such terror and cruelty. That they should be ac-
companied by scribes or people whose profession it was
to increase copies of the law by handwriting, is not an
unlikely supposition. When Iceland was discovered by
the Norsemen in the year 874, copies of books, bells, and
other ecclesiastical articles were found by them, which
they ascribed to people from Ireland, or the Western
Islands, having visited the place (see Mallet's edition of
Percys NortJiern Antiquities, p. 189). Bad news pro-
verbially travels fast, and any report of the cruelties in-
flicted on the early Christians would make people fly to
the earth's remotest bounds. Even in modern times the
smaller, and comparatively harmless, persecutions made
people cross to America or Pennsylvania. In this way
the early Christian refugees may have taken shelter in
Ireland, and from thence spread the tenets of their
religion. Some Irish families are said to derive their
origin from Palestine.
That the Fians ended their existence with the introduc-
tion of Christianity is clear and evident whence or when-
ever they originated, and Ossian's daughter being married
to Patrick of the Psalms is a confirmation of the opinion.
The date of this Patrick, who he was, or where he came
from, is not a matter on which much weight can be placed.
Before parting with this subject, it is but just to
speak highly of Macpherson, by whom these composi-
tions were first brought before the attention of the world.
Without entering at all upon the controversy which the
The Fiaiis. 279
authenticity and genuineness of the work he published
raised, he himself was possessed of high literary talent ;
and if, nowadays, his works seem overstrained and
" foolish", it was only that he followed the fashion of the
times. Macpherson was himself a native of Badenoch,
which was one of the most inaccessible, rugged, and wild
districts in the Highlands. He is accused of ignorance
of Gaelic, but unjustly. His having broken down all
prejudices, and attracted the attention of the most
learned men, and those of finest taste and most acute
judgment, shows him to have been possessed of no mean
gifts. That he was buried in Westminster Abbey at his
own request, and that he said he would be ashamed to
imitate what he could not compose, is capable of different
interpretations, and might lead one into the heat of the
controversy.
All that the writer has to say on the subject is that the
work here published is entirely from oral sources, without
any straining to make it resemble the works of either
Greece or Rome, or any other work, ancient or modern.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTES.
[//? the following notes. Machines, refers to Vol. II of the presetit
series : ^''Argyllshire Folk and Hero Tales" edited by the Rev. D.
Maclnnes., with Notes by Alfred Nutt ; L. na F.., refers to '■^Leabhar
na Feiti}ie'\ heroic Gaelic ballads collected in Scotland chiefly from
1 5 12 to 1 87 1, arraftged by f. F. Campbell j xMS. Mat.., to E.
C Curry s "MS. Materials for Irish History"; M.C., to the same
author's '''' Manners and Customs, etc."; D'Arbois de Jubai7iville,
to the '"''Essai dhin catalogue de la litterature epique de Ilrlande".
All references to Campbell alone are to the " West Highland Tales''. ]
P. 6. Conlaoch and CuchuUain. Four versions in L. na F., pp.
9-15 : (a) Dean of Lismore's Book ; {b) Kennedy ; {c) Gillies ;
{d) Irvine. The present version is closest to Gillies. The only
other complete translation of any of the Gaelic texts is in Miss
Brookes, pp. 9-23. See D'Arhois de Jubainville, p. 16, for a
list of the Irish MSS. The oldest Irish text is in prose, in the
i4th-i5th cent. MS. H. 2, 16, col. 955-57, and there Conlaoch
is called Enfir Aife. The loth century Irish poet, Cinaed hua
Artacain, mentions Oinfer Aife in his poem on the heroes of
Erin, Book of Leinster, p. 31.
Our story forms a kind of continuation to that of CuchuUain's
education as it is found in the Tochmarc Emer, or CuchuUain's
Wooing of Emer. In the oldest redaction we have of this
text, edited and translated by Prof. Kuno Meyer, Rev. Celt.,
xi, 433 et seq., and ascribed by him to the eighth century, we read
as follows concerning Aife : " Then she said she was pregnant.
She also said that it was a son she would bear, and that the boy
would come to Erin that day seven years. And he left a name
for him" Cp.451). The second redaction of the Tochmarc Emer,
ascribed by Prof. Meyer to the nth century, and translated
by him in the first volume of the Archceological Review, adds :
" CuchuUain left a golden finger-ring for him, and said to her
that he should go and seek him in Erinn when the ring would
fit on his finger. And he said that Conla was the name to be
given to him, and toldher that be should not make himself known
to anyone, that he should not go out of the way of any man,
nor refuse combat to any man" {A. R., i, p. 352). I think
there is no reasonable ground for doubting that the story of
282 BibliograpJiical Notes.
Cuchullain and Conlaoch, substantially as related in the later
texts, was current in Ireland prior to Cinaed hua Artacain,
i.e., in the early loth century; for my own part, I believe the
story to be as old at least as the oldest redaction of the
Tochmarc Emer, i.e., to date back to the eighth century on
Irish ground ; but this is an inferential belief only.
The combat between father and son is found on Teutonic
soil at the latest in the eighth century ; the MS. date of the
fragment of Hildebrand and Hadubrand is circa 800, and
the fragment presupposes an older written copy, which itself
presupposes a ballad orally transmitted (Kogel, in FnuVs
Grniidriss, ii, p. 180). But the situation is by no means
similar to that in the Irish story ; for instance, Hadubrand
imagines that his father is dead. On the other hand, the
situation in our text resembles that in the episode of Sohrab and
Rustem in the Shahnameh (accessible to all in Matthew Arnold's
exquisite version). Firdusi, born 939, died 1030, compiled the
Shahnameh from older traditions. It seems impossible to
admit direct influence of the Persian upon the Celtic version,
and I see no reason for doubting that the three stories (Persian,
Teutonic, Celtic) are variants of a pan-Aryan heroic legend.
Full references to the spread of the father and son combat
in the romantic literature of the Middle Ages will be found in
Warnke's edition of Marie de France (Halle, 1885), R. Kohler's
note to Milun, p. xcvi et seq.
As Milun and the lay of Doon, which resembles it very
closely, are the only two other instances on Celtic soil of this
theme which are of anything like the same antiquity as the
story of Cuchullain and Conlaoch, they deserve some attention.
Milun, like the other lays of Marie de France, must be ascribed
in its present form to the last quarter of the twelfth century.
Marieherself places the /tirrt/e in the British Isles, and describes
Milun as a South-Welsh prince ; and it seems reasonable to
hold that she heard the story in Wales. Milun loves a lady
secretly, when they part he leaves a ring with her. She bears
a son, and, later on, he meets his father in a tournament, over-
throws him, recognition follows by means of the ring, and the
three personages are reunited. Dates alone forbid the sup-
position that the Irish story is due to Marie's lay, even if the
latter were obviously not a weakened version of the theme,
which the Gaelic story represents, on the contrary, in its full
tragic power. I do not think one can say more at present than
that the combat of father and son was a favourite subject
among both branches of the Celtic race ; but if there has been
borrowing on the one side or the other, the Gaels have a far
better claim to be considered the lenders than the Kymry.
Bibliographical Notes. 28
o
P. 8. Deirdre. A translation of the modern folk-tale printed
in the Transactions of the Inverness Soc, xiv, may be found in
the Celtic Mag., xiii. Of the old Irish heroic tale two forms
are known : {a) the text of the Book of Leinster. compiled in the
middle of the 12th cent, from older MSS., printed by Windisch
in the first series of the Irische Texte (pp. 67-82), and trans-
lated into French by M. Ponsinet, Revue des Traditions
poptdaires^ iii, pp. 201-7. A text, printed and translated by
T. O'Flanagan {Iransactions of the Gaelic Society of Dubliii,
1808, pp. 146-177), agrees substantially with this, (b) The
text printed and translated in Irische Texte, ii, 2, pp. 109-178,
by Mr. Whitley Stokes, from a 15th cent. MS. O'Flanagan gives
a very similar version {I.e., pp. 16-135). ^^- ^"''■y G^'^it, P- 233,
and for a full list of the MSS. of the Irish text, D'Arbois
de Jubainville, p. 10.
P. II. Dunbar's reference to Finn. The interest and im-
portance of this reference have never been sufficiently appre-
ciated. It shows that in the 15th century (Dunbar, born about
1450, died 1525) there were current about Finn tales of the
kind now associated with Conan (see supra, p. 73), but which
have entirely died away from the popular memory, and which
also have, to the best of my knowledge, left no traces in the
extensive Gaelic MS. literature of the last three centuries — a
fact, by-the-bye, which shows what little reliance can be placed
upon the argument ex silentio. These tales represented either
Finn or Conan as a harrier of hell. It is impossible not to
connect this feature with that spirit of defiant paganism which
I have noted as characteristic of the ballad form of the later
Fenian saga, a spirit which differentiates it so completely from
the Irish fourteenth-century prose texts. Now the feature must
have been very prominent in the Fenian legend of the Middle
Ages for it to have impressed an alien Lowlander, as Dunbar
was, as the most characteristic trait of the hero's personality.
Can it be connected with anything in the pre-eleventh century
Fenian texts ? It so happens that a poem in the Book of
leinster, edited and translated by Mr. Whitley Stokes, Rev.
Celt., vii, 289, describes the visit of Finn and his men to the
land of monstrous beings, with whom they strive all night, and
who disappear with the incoming daylight. Such an incident
may well have got transformed into a visit to hell, but it is im-
portant to note, it is in its origin and essence totally different,
and must be much older than any purely Christian legendary
conceptions. The development of the incident, however, as
well as the anti-Christian tone of the ballad form of the Fenian
texts, would certainly seem to show that these ballads took
284 Bibliographical Notes.
shape at a period and among conditions of struggle between
Christianity and paganism. The commonly received theory,
which makes Finn a third-century man — i.e., places the forma-
tive period of the cycle in the fourth-sixth centuries — would fit
in with the facts ; but so would Prof. Zimmer's theory, which
makes the legend grow up among the pagan Norse invaders
and semi-paganised Irish of the ninth century. In any case it
is not a little remarkable that not only the " clerical" spirit of
the Irish fourteenth-century prose texts, but also the special
Christian transformation of the incident of Finn's visit to the
otherworld, vouched for by Dunbar's reference and by the
proverbs about Conan, have both utterly died away out of the
folk-mind. When, thirty years ago, Campbell of Islay noted
the tale of Finn's enchantment it was closely akin to the poem
preserved by the twelfth-century Book of Leitister (see the tale,
Rev. Celt.., i).
Pp. 12, 13. Brugh Farala. Six versions in L. na F., pp.
175-80: {a) Fletcher's; {b) Kennedy's; (r) Kennedy's ; {d)
Irvine's ; {e) Staffa Coll. ; (/) ditto.
P. 14. Fenian Topography. Cf. Mr. Stuart Glennie's essay
on Arthurian localities, prefixed to vol. iii of the Early English
Text Society, Merlin.
P. 16. Fionn Mac Cumhail. I have examined the story of
Finn's birth and rearing in my paper : " The Aryan Expul-
sion and Return Formula among the Celts," Folk-Lore Ftxord,
vol. iv, pp. 1-36. The oldest version closely connected with
the traditions summarised in the text is the "Boyish Exploits of
Finn", printed and translated (incompletely) from a 15th cent.
MS. by O'Donovan, Oss. Soc, iv, pp. 281 et seq., printed
completely by Kuno Meyer, Fev. Celt., v, p. 195; but the
substance of the story, though shorn of its supernatural inci-
dents and setting, appears in the "Fotha Catha Cnucha" (The
Cause of the Battle of Cnucha), a text of the Leahhar na
KUidrhre, a MS. copied at the end of the nth century from
older MSS., and probably representing a harmony of old
Gaelic legend made in the first quarter of the nth century.
This text was edited and translated by the late W. M.
Hennessy, Revue Ce/tiqtie, ii, pp. 86-91.
I have not anywhere else met the tradition, noted 23-24,
of the luring of Cumhal. The whole of this section should
be compared with Kennedy's account, printed in L. na K,
PP- 35-37-
It is remarkable that of this extensive series of prose tradi-
tions, extending from the 15th century Boyish Exploits (and
Bibliographical Notes. 285
presumably from the nth century Battle of Cnucha) to the
present day, and still flourishing vigorously, there is not a
single metrical version. One set of incidents about Finn seems
to have been told in prose, another in verse, as far back as we
can go.
Cf. my notes, Maclnnes, pp. 404 and 415.
P. -^T^. The Battle of Gabhra. Another version printed,
Transactions of the Ossianic Society, vol. i, with English trans-
lation ; also Z. na F., pp. 180-195, eight versions: {a, l>)
Dean of Lismore; {c) Mac Diarmaid (1762-69); {d) Mac Nicol;
{e,f) Kennedy; f^) Gillies; {h) Irvine. See also West High.
Tales, iii, p. 304, and D'Arbois de Jubainville, p. 70, for
a list of the Irish MSS., the oldest of which is dated 1715, i.e.,
none are as old as the Lismore version. Mons. d'Arbois
also refers to the older form of the tradition, the Book of
Leinster poem, attributed to Oisin, printed and translated by
O'Curry, Oss. Soc, vol. i. Cf my notes to Maclnnes, p. 405.
P. 49. GoU. See MS Mat., p. 302, for the earliest Irish
references to Goll. Cf L. na F , p. 164, where versions are
printed from MacNicol, Kennedy, and Irvine. According
to these, Goll kills Coireal, so that the latter cannot be Oscar,
yet Campbell equates him with Oscar. I have not met with
the tradition noted in our text elsewhere.
Mr. Campbell is incorrect in his interpretation of Dunbar's
verse about Goll being shorn out of his mother's womb.
The operation was necessary on account of his size. This
feature is a commonplace in the heroic legend, not only of
the Middle Ages, but generally ; e.g , Rustem, the hero par
excellence of Persian legend, had to be cut from his mother's
body, and this was performed with the help of a feather given
to Rustem's father, Sal, by the eagle Simurg, who, upon the
feather being cast into the fire, appears, renders the mother
insensible, and afterwards heals her. I quote this instance
from Persian legend out of the numberless ones that could be
cited, as it is interesting to find this second parallel between
Iranian and Gaelic saga. Moreover, a similar incident to that
of the eagle's being summoned apparently occurs in the Etana
legend, an old Babylonian heroic tale which can hardly be less
than 3,500 years old (see Dr. E. Harper's letter to \hQ Academy,
May 30), and it is not unreasonable to assume that the re-
mainder of the episode likewise formed part of this legend, so
that the Csesarean heroic birth-incident, as it may be called,
goes back to the remotest antiquity. In Teutonic legend it is
Bibliographical Notes.
associated with Volsung, the eponymous ancestor of the Vol-
sung race. See also Grimm, Deutsche Mythologie, sect. 361.
P. 52. Dermid. Compare my note, Maclnnes, p. 403, for
the oldest Irish mention of Diarmaid. The story of his flight
with Grainne was known in Ireland at the very latest in the
first quarter of the eleventh century, as it is mentioned in the
story-list of the Book of Leinster (AfS. Afaf., p. 590). Mons.
d'Arbois de Jubainville indicates two fifteenth-century Irish ver-
sions (p. 35); see also p. 249 for a list of the later MSS. An
episode of the flight, the &a//i beinne Etair, or Hiding of the
Hill of Howth, has been printed and translated from a fif-
teenth-century MS. by Prof. Kuno Meyer, Rev. Celt.^ xi, 125
et seq. This tale figures likewise in the Book of Leinster
story-list {MS. Mat., p. 587). Mr. Standish Hayes O'Grady
has printed and translated an eighteenth-century prose Irish
version, Oss. Soc, vol. iii, which has been reprinted as one of
the text-books issued by the Society for the Preservation of the
Irish Language. Campbell, Z. fin F., pp. 152-164, prints
thirteen poems from the Diarmaid cycle, from Dean of Lis-
more, Kennedy, Irvine, and MacNicol ; also Kennedy's
English Summaries, which should be carefully compared with
the versions in our text. Cf also West Highlatid Tales,
vol. iii, p. 39.
P. 64. See my note, Maclnnes, pp. 404-406, for the earliest
Irish mentions of Caoilte. In the stage of the legend repre-
sented by the fourteenth-fifteenth century AgaUanih na Senoraib
(Dialogue of the Elders), Caoilte occupies the place taken in
the ballads by Oisin, he is the witness par excellttice to the
departed glories of the Fenian age. Here, again, we note
a marked difference between the prose and the verse accounts.
Campbell, L. 71a F., pp. 52-56, gives seven poems about
Caoilte, from MacNicol, Fletcher, Kennedy, and Irvine ; also
Kennedy's English summaries. Versions of the poem in our text
are printed L. na F, pp. 65-68, from Kennedy, Gillies, and
current tradition ; also Kennedy's English Summaries. Cf.
also J Vest High. Tales, iii, p. 379.
P. 76. End of the Feinne. Cf. for other versions of the
incident mentioned on this page, L. na F., pp. 158-64.
P. 79. Ossian's deer mother. See my note, Maclnnes,
p. 470; also Hyde's Beside the Fire, p. 178. There are
several versions of the song in our text. L. ?ia F., pp.
198-199.
Bibliographical Notes. 28'
P. 82. Ossian after the Fians. This series of traditions is
well represented in Ireland, Oss. Soc, vol. iv ; see also L. na F.,
p. 197, for Kennedy's version of Oisin's death, and pp. 38-51
for version of Oisin's stay with Patrick, and the various
episodes connected therewith. A prose version of the last
hunt, corresponding to p. St, of our text, is on pp. 38-39 from
Staffa's collection, and five versions from current tradition in
IVesi High. Tales, vol. ii, p. 102 et seq. See also my note,
Hyde, Beside the Fi?-e, p. 179.
P. 86. "The end of the Fians was the going of Fionn to
Rome." This statement should have been mentioned in the
section "Brugh Farala" {infra, p. 164). It was after Finn had
been wounded by Oscar, when the latter beheaded Garaidh,
as therein related, that he went to Rome to be healed, and it
was during his absence that the state of affairs arose which
culminated in the slaughter of Gabhra, and in the destruction
of nearly all the Fenian heroes. See Kennedy's Summary of
the Cycle, printed L. na F., p. 36, col. 2. The passage in the
text is a fragment divorced from its proper context.
P. 91. The Red Cataract. See L. na F., p. 127, for a dis-
cussion of this cycle. The oldest Irish text is one bound up
with II., 2, 17, a MS., portion of which dates back to the four-
teenth century, but the greater part of which is of the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries (D'Arbois de Jubainville, p. Ixv).
Campbell calls this MS. the Book of leacan by mistake.
Campbell prints versions, Z. na F., pp. 127-137, from Dean of
Lismore, Staffa's coll., MacNicol, Kennedy, Gillies, Fletcher,
and current tradition. See more especially Kennedy's English
Summaries, pp. 131 and 132. D'Arbois de Jubainville, pp.
45 and 118, gives a list of the Irish MSS., all, save the above
mentioned, H., 2, 17, of the eighteenth and nineteenth cen-
turies. See my Introduction to vol. iii of present series for a dis-
cussion of the mythological interpretation of the Fenian poems.
P. 106. Manus. English version. Miss Brookes, pp. 37-65.
Campbell, I. na F, pp. 71-83, prints versions from MacNicol,
Kennedy, Irvine, MacDonald, and a fragment from Dean of
Lismore. See Kennedy's English Summaries, pp. 74 and 76.
See also IVest High. Tales, iii, p. 346, and D'Arbois de
Jubainville, p. 164, for a list of the Irish MSS., none of which
are anterior to the eighteenth century. I have discussed the
prose tale of Manus, Maclnnes, pp. 482-85.
P. 113. Alvin. Campbell, Z. na F, pp. 95-104, prints
288 Bibliographical Notes.
versions from MacNicol, Fletcher, Kennedy, and Irvine.
See more especially Kennedy's English Summaries, pp. 98 and
100.
P. 121. Conn, Son of the Red. The Dearg cycle is dis-
cussed by Campbell, L. na F., p. 107. Versions of our text
are printed, pp. 113-121, from MacNicol, Fletcher, Kennedy,
Gillies, Irvine, and current tradition. Kennedy's English
Summary, p. 117. • D'Arbois de Jubainville, p. 161, quotes
several Irish eighteenth-century texts of "Laoidh an Dearg
mhic Dhroithchill", and " Laoidh Chuinn mhic an Deirg".
P. 131. The Muileartach. Four other versions printed,
L. na K, p. 59, from MacNicol, Fletcher, Irvine, and current
tradition. See also West High. Tales, iii, p. 122.
The hag is described much as is the mother of the three
giants, with whom, in many Gaelic tales, the hero has to wage
his hardest fight {e.g , in Campbell's No. 52, "The Knight of the
Red Shield"). A similar description occurs in a thirteenth-
century French romance, Gerbert's continuation of the Conte
del Graal. I have discussed this question, Grail, pp, 165
et seq.
P. 159. Lay of the Smithy. See L. na F., pp. 65-68, for a
composite version, and for Kennedy's with English argument.
See also West. High. Tales, iii, p. 378.
P. 162. This lament for Caoilte is wrongly placed here. It
does not belong to the Smithy Lay at all, but should be classed
with the poems printed L. na F., pp. 47-50, " Oisin's Lament
for his Comrades."
P. 164. Brugh Farala. See note on p. 12, and compare
Kennedy's Summary, L. na F., p. 36. The death of Fionn
seems peculiar to the version in our text.
P. 175. Fin Mac Coul in the Kingdom of Big Men. I know
no parallel to this story as a whole. Cf. for the skilful com-
panions, my note, Maclnnes, pp. 445-48.
P. 192. How Fionn found his Missing Men. Fionn and
his Men. These two tales, which are close variants, may be
compared with L. na F., p. 89-92, where five versions of the "Lay
of the Black Dog" are given from Staffa, MacNicol, Fletcher,
and Kennedy. Mr. Standish Hayes O'Grady, in the list of tales
common in late Irish MSS. prefixed to his edition of Diarmaid
Bibliographical Notes. 289
{Oss. Soc, iii, p. 18), notes Laoidh na con diubhe. See vol. i
of the present series, p. 7, and Hyde's Beside the Fire, pp.
178-79.
P. 204. How Fionn found Bran. There is a fragmentary
version in vol. ii of the series — No. H : "Feunn MacCliail and
the Bent Grey Lad." See my notes to the same, Maclnnes, pp.
445-452. In vol. iii of the present series there is a good version
— No. I : " How Finn kept his Children for the Big Young
Hero of the Ship, and how Bran was Found."
P. 225. Ceudach, son of the King of the CoUa Men. Eachtra
Cheadaigh Mhoir (Adventures of Ceudach the Big), are men-
tioned in Mr. Standish Hayes O'Grady's already cited list of
Irish MS. tales {Oss. Soc, iii, p. 21). There is a frag-
mentary version of the tale, differing in many important
respects, in vol. ii of the present series, entitled "I.eomhan
Cridheach and Ceudamh". See my notes on the same, Mac-
lnnes, p. 489. The tale is still current in Ireland.
P. 239. Fionn's Ransom. This is a variant of Campbell,
No. 52, "The Knight of the Red Shield".
P. 260. The Lad with the Skin Covering. Partly a variant
of Ceudach (p. 225 in this vol.). This one is more like the
Maclnnes version. So far as I am aware, there are no similars
to this tale as a whole in print.
19
INDEX OF INCIDENTS AND RUNS.
Alvin, lay of, text and transla-
tion, 1 13-19, n. 286
Arithmetical puzzle, 258
Babe-stealing, threefold, 205
Babe stilling, 17
Bath, health-restoring, 246
Big Men, Kingdom of (Fionn in),
245, ;/. 287
Big Men seek combat of Fionn,
177
Black-dog fight, 195, 234, ;;. 287
Black Arky, 16; manner of death,
27
Boar killed by Dermid, 54-56
Boar measured against mane, 194
Bran, how procured, 204 ct seq. ;
his venomous claw, 175, kept
covered, 195, removed by
Conan, 234 ; his speed, 64 ; his
aid to Fionn, iw et seq. ; his
one failure, 197
Bride-quest, 225, 261
Brugh Farala, text and transla-
tion, 164-171, 13, II. 287
Cesarean operation, 49, n. 284
Cairbre, 32 et seq.
Caogad, 46, 1 1 3, 155
Caoilte, 64 ei seq.; his appear-
ance at full speed, 64, 173 ; his
belt, present from fairy sweet-
heart, 64 ; adventure with the
deer, 75 ; lament for C. by
Ossian, 163
Carlin (mother of three monsters)
fights hero (Fionn), 182, 247-49.
See also Muileartach
Ceard, 80
Ceudach (Ceutach), 12, 223 et
seq. ; lament over, 228, //. 288
Challenging damsel, 264
" Clear spring" for bride win-
ning, 225
Coireal, 49, n 284
Cold stone between Dermid and
Grainne, 56
Coll and Conn, race of, 2
Combat, threefold, against mon-
sters, 179
Conal Gulbann, oldest history, i
Conlaoch, 6, ;/. 280-281
Conan, 73-74; in hell, 72)'i ^''is for-
wardness rebuked, 122 : his
obligations, 74; adventure with
king's daughter, 194 ; useless
until after first disgrace, 194, «.
283
Conn, Son of the Red, lay of, text
and translation, 120-130, n. 286
Cows of the Fians, 75 ; grazing-
place in Skye, 76
Cuchullain and Conlaoch, text
■and translation, 6, n. 280-281
Cuithach mac an Uoill, 53, 54
C\im\i2i\,i6 et seq-, and the smith's
daughter, 16 ; lured to death,
23-24, n. 283
Cup of Fionn, 136, 138
Daughter exposed to monsters,
178 £'/ seq.
Death doom for broken (pottery^
228), (silver, 260)
Deirdre, 8, n. 282
Derglas (first name of Caoilte,
which see)
Dermid, 12, 52 et seq.; third
best hero of Fians, 30; vulner-
able heel, 54 ; beauty spot, 52 ;
hair, 63 ; teaches Oscar chess,
30 ; shoes himself backward
to elude pursuit, 55
Despised hero, 243
Dunbar's reference to Fionn, 11,
n. 282
Dog-fight, 234
Indt
ex.
291,
Eang, 240
Eelskin-covered wall, 206
Elk-bone, 83
Fairy shirts give hundred-fold
strength, 182
Fairy lullaby, text and transla-
tion, 2
Fairy prophetess (washing gar-
ments), ^2>
Fergus, 12 ; born in Jura, 198
Fians, organisation of, 10; cattle
of, 75; harvest, 172 ; give way
for a day, surprised weapon-
less, resting-place, 4 ; sleep
disturbed, 4 ; would rise if not
spoken of for twenty-four hours
P'ian women, secret nourishment
of, 165
Finn, birth and rearing, t6 et
seq. ; one of twins, 17 ; genea-
logYi 19 ; naming, 18 ; taught
by aunt, 17-18 ; apple-bag,
22-23 ; wages, 25 ; choice of
swords, 26 ; first terror he in-
spires, 22 ; second terror, 23 ;
daughter, 27 ; afraid of Goll,
50 ; seeks Goll, 198 ; F. and
Dermid, 54 ; hospitality, 175 ;
storm shield (threefold cry of),
235; never looks behmd him
on a journey, 192 ; strikes
Bran, 175; tricks monster, 179
et seq. ; worst remembrance of,
194 ; as dwarf, 178 ; dies from
Mac a Lun's stroke, 168, 71. 283
Fish- (wisdom) tasting incident,
19-20, 26
Galley, seven years and days being
prepared, 206
Garai (Garry), 13; and the Fian
women, 165 et seq. ; his hid-
ing in a cave, 166 ; detected
by Fiona's wisdom tooth, 160
Geola, 234
Geese swimming on breast, 47
Goll, 10, 12, 22 ; his birth, 49,
;/. 284 ; banner, 27, 49 et seq. ;
kills his mother, 50 ; appear-
ance in combat, 124 ; weapons,
124
Grainne, daughter ot Earl of
Ulster, 52; under spells, 52;
buried alive, 57. See Dermid
Great Fool, oldest lay, i
Gritagach, 193
Guarding beast, 261
Hand, children stealing, 206
Head-crowned poles, 261
Hero, as cook, 263
Hero (Fionn) helped by dog
(Bran), 180
Hero in land of giants, 178 et seq.
Horse, best, of Fians, 74
Hound, white-eared, not to be
chased, 197
Husband's company granted on
condition, 228
Indemnity to invaders, 145
Insult offered to boasting king,
243
King's doubles, 12
Kingdom under-waves, 88 90
Knife of Fionn, utters cry, 196
Knives, walking on, as identity
test, 227, 264
Lapanach, 237
Lapdog, 245
Lay of the Red Cataract, mytho-
logical explanation, 88, 89, n.
286
Lay of the Red, oldest ballad, i
Lay of Smithy, text and transla-
tion, 65-72, 159-64, ft. 287
Life restoring, 229
Life-restoring stoup, 247
Lost teeth, 245
Mac a Luin, Fionn's sword, 13,21
Mac Redhinn, 12, 13
Macpherson, 11,12
Male child-slaughter incident, 16
Manus, 12 ; ballad of, text and
translation, 106-112, n. 286
Marrow-bone dispute, 29, 30
Marrow-freezing by sword, 262
Mast-climbing feat, 244
Mother recovers hearing, 21
Mungan mac Seirc, 46
292
Index.
Muileartach, text and translation,
Red Cataract, lay of, text and
130-158 ; mythological signifi-
translation, 91-100, n. 286
cation of, 133 ; only to be slain
Red spot caused by food-stint-
by Fionn, 133 ; Manus's nurse,
ing, 85
139, n. 287
Reproach or decay best? 53
Musical harpers, 205, 248
S, initial, signification of in Gaelic,
Nasty eating of Fians, 194
88
Shaving with sword, 22-23
Servant seeking employment, 204
Ocean-riding steed, 250
Service-seeking warrior, 226
Ocean Smith, 140, 142
Shirt-fitting as identity test,
Ord Fhinn, 212
Shirt year and a day in making,
Oscar, 12, 27 et seq. ; best hero of
227
Fians, 30 ; and Goll at chess,
Skilful companions (three), 177 ;
77 ; banner, 27
(four), 183; (six), 205
Oscara (adj.) = strong, powerful.
Sleep-prevention, 248
30
Sorcha, 88
Ossian's deer mother, 78-79
Strength-conferring fairy shirts.
Ossian's gifts, 86
182
Ossian's description of himself.
Survivors (spectral) of Gavra, 31
104
Swearing on cold iron, 21J
Ossian after the Fians, 78
Sword tempered in blood, 21
Ossian and Patrick, 80
Ossian's daughter niggardly, 80
Tai/eas^, 193
Ossian's wife, 103-104
Topography, Fenian, 14-15, n. 283
Ossian and the blackbird hunt.
Tom-na-h-iubhraich, Fians' rest-
82 ^/ seq.
ing-place, 4
Ossian in fir na h-Oige, 80
Ossian's poem on a stormy night.
Unbroken bread testifies conti-
102
nence, 53
Vaunt, unwise, 243
Personification in the Fenian
legend, 134, 158
Wages for service, 222
Praise of Loch Key greatest
Wife, pre-eminence claimed for,
praise, i
227
Pregnancy formula, 17
Wrestling maidens, 234
RUNS.
Battle-run, 123, 124-125
Bespelling run, 212, 231, 263
Boat-beaching run, 176, 212, 213
Seafaring run, 140, 177, 244
Sheltered hillock run, 176, 243
LONDON : WHITING AND CO., 30 AND 32 -SARDINIA STKHET, W C.
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 9999 06561 332 3
DEC 10 1920
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